Pokémon Cosmic Quest
by Yuni Oha
Summary: Ash and Pikachu set off for an adventure in the Tenno Region, a place known for its advanced space industry. There they encounter new Pokémon, new challenges, the evil Team Planetary, and a certain trio of Team Rocket members, while traveling with friends new and old. Styled like the anime. Based off of my own game concepts, Luna, Terra, and Sol Versions, including custom Pokémon.
1. Episode 1: Tenno, the Final Frontier

**For an enhanced reading experience, go to the Official Pokémon Cosmic Quest Website, a link can be found on my profile page. It has special features such as episode reviews, up-to-date news, and even a Pokédex with details on all of my custom Pokémon, even a few pictures.**

Pokémon

Cosmic Quest

Episode 1: Tenno…the Final Frontier

_ The Tenno Region! A boundless region in the World of Pokémon, the wonder of its beauty is matched only by its grand technological advancements. It's a place of balance where nature and technology live in perfect harmony. _As The Narrator speaks, various scenes of the Tenno Region are shown, such as vast forest, sparkling oceans, a breathtaking starscape, futuristic metropolises, rockets, and, of course, Pokémon. _It's a region known for its history of space exploration. It has the most advanced space flight capabilities in world and an attitude for exploration. It is the perfect place to start a journey…and look, it appears that someone is!_

The scene is a small living room, in a small house. A holographic TV, or holovision, is on in the corner. Standing in the middle of the room is a young girl. She has long brown-blond hair and is wearing pajamas printed with a Jigglypuff pattern. Sitting at a table on the side of the room is an older woman, apparently the younger one's mom. The girl shouts, "I can't believe it! Tomorrow's my tenth birthday!"

The mom smiles. "My, my, is it really that time already?"

"_Mom, _of course it is. You know that!"

"Of course, you haven't stopped talking about it for the past week."

"Tomorrow I get my first Pokémon, then I get to travel around the region all by myself!" She spins around and then falls onto her back on the floor. "I can't wait!" She quickly gets back up. "Hey Mom, do you think that I'll actually get to see Kanaveral City?"

"I don't see why not."

"Oh boy! Maybe I'll get to see the space center…or even better! Maybe I'll get to ride in a rocket!"

The mother chuckles. "I wouldn't count on that."

"I know, but hey, I can hope."

Over the holovision a voice is heard saying, "Welcome one and all to the Celes City Pokémon Contest! I'll be your host today! Let's get to our first round, the Appeal Stage, underway!" A hologram of a Pokémon coordinator running out onto the stage is shown. She waves to the audience and throws a Pokéball and out comes a Beautifly.

The girl notices the holovision and begins to watch it with captivation. The coordinator and her Beautifly put on a stunning show. The girl turns to her mom and asks, "Mom, what's a Pokémon Contest?"

The is surprised. "You've never heard of a Pokémon Contest before?" The girl shakes her head. "You'd love them. It's basically a special form of a Pokémon Battle. In a tournament grid form, special trainers, known as coordinators, compete with their Pokémon, trying to put on the most stunning performance."

The girl is back to watching the holovision. "Mom, I know what I want to do on my journey now. I want to be a Pokémon coordinator."

The mom smiles. "I'll root for you all the way."

* * *

_ That young lady isn't the only one about to start a new adventure. We now travel to the familiar town of Pallet, where ten year old Ash Ketchum and his partner Pikachu live. _Ash is shown in his room, zipping up his shirt and then putting his hat on. Pikachu jumps up onto his shoulder. _He may not be up to anything now, but our hero can never stay in place for too long…_

Ash looks at Pikachu and asks, "Alright buddy, are you ready for today?"

"Pika!"

"Let's go!" Ash runs out of his room and storms down the stairs. He runs by his mom and shouts, "Mom, I'm going out to play with my Pokémon, see you for lunch!"

His mom calls back, "Okay, just don't stay out too long!"

Ash continues running to the door, almost crashing into Mr. Mime, who's sweeping, on the way out. He runs across Pallet Town up towards Professor Oak's lab. He reaches the fence behind the lab and calls out, "Hey guys, I'm here! Who wants to play!?" After several moments, a stampede of Ash's various Pokémon come charging at him.

The next few scenes are a montage of various images of Ash playing with his Pokémon. In one he's riding on a Tauros with the other 29 stampeding behind him. Then he's running with Noctowl, Swellow, Staraptor, and Unfezent flying above him. Then he's watching as Infernape and Charizard battle. Finally, he, Bulbasaur, and Totodile are bouncing on Snorlax's stomach.

After all that, Ash is now lying in the grass on a hill with various Pokémon of his resting with him. Ash repositions himself so that his hands are beneath his head and he looks up at the clouds in the sky. He says to Pikachu, "You know Pikachu, I've had a lot of fun these past few weeks. Its nice to be at home and relax for once, not to mention we get to see all of our friends, but it's getting a little boring. It's not like a Pokémon Master to just sit around at home. You know what I mean?" Pikachu nods. "I wish I had somewhere else to go, but I just don't know where." Ash sighs.

Not far away, Ash's mom is watching Ash. She sighs as well. She says to herself. "Oh Ash, it's been so nice having you home the past few weeks, but I know that you're not happy. You have the heart of an adventurer, there's no way you could ever be content with staying at home. Even if it means I don't get to see you, all I want is for you to be happy." She walks into her house and activates the videophone.

Professor Oak appears on the screen. He says, "Ah, Delilah, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

She sighs again. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Anything Delilah, you name it."

* * *

Some time later, Ash is still lying in the grass with his Pokémon. He jolts up when he hears his mom call, "Oh Ash!"

He gets up and says, "I'll be right back guys." Pikachu jumps onto his shoulder. He runs over to his mom. "What is it mom?"

"I was just talking to Professor Oak, he wants to see you. He says that he has something he wants you to do for him."

"Alright, I'll head over there right now." Ash runs off.

* * *

Ash enters Professor Oak's lab. He calls out, "Professor!? Professor Oak!? It's Ash, I'm here!"

Tracy walks into the room and says, "There you are Ash. The Professor is in the back. He wanted you to meet him there."

"Alright." Ash goes into the back room. There he sees the Professor bending over, examining something.

Oak quickly looks up and says, "Ash, my boy, so glad you could make it!"

"I came as soon as my mom told me you wanted to see me."

"Right, of course. Look at this for me please." Oak beckons to a fist-sized rock on his table.

Ash examines it. "It's a rock."

Oak laughs. "Oh it's much more that a rock. This is a Meteoric Shard. According to legends of the Tenno Region, this is a special meteorite left over from the creation of the Solar System. They say that it has special properties."

Ash questions, "The Tenno Region?"

"Yes, the Tenno Region. It's another region, not too far from Sinnoh actually. They're known for their advanced space travel technology."

Ash nods. "So why do you need me?"

"A colleague of mine in the Tenno Region, Professor Pine, is studying these things. This item is far too valuable to transfer via mail, so I was hoping that you could hand deliver it for me."

Ash smiles. "Sure, I'll do that."

"That's great my boy! I'll book you passage on the next boat to Tenno." The Professor turns around and starts rummage through some stuff. "Of course, you'll be needing this." He hands Ash a red rectangular device with a single button on it.

"What is it?"

"It's my newest model of the Pokédex, complete with Tenno Pokémon."

Ash grabs it. "That's so cool!"

He points it at Pikachu and presses the button. A hologram of Pikachu appears and an electronic voice says, "Pikachu, the Electric Mouse Pokémon and an Electric-Type. Pikachu tend to live in groups in the forest. If one Pikachu is threatened, it will release a electric pulse that alerts the rest of its group of danger. Pikachu Evolves from Pichu through friendship and into Raichu with the use of a Thunderstone."

Oak explains, "As you can see, a new feature is that it tells you how the Pokémon evolves. It can be very helpful."

"Thanks Professor, I'll leave as soon as I can."

Little do the two know, watching them from the other side of a window is Team Rocket, Jessie, James, and Meowth. Mime Jr. is perched on James shoulder. Meowth asks, "Did you here that? The twerp's going to go to the Tenno Region!"

Jessie says, "Finally, a change in venue."

James adds, "It's been weeks now, we've failed to catch Pikachu at least a dozen times since the twerp returned home."

Meowth says, "Well, that's all about to change. We'll be the first Team Rocket operatives in the Tenno Region, if I'm correct."

That makes Jessie and James happy. Jessie exclaims, "Just imagine how pleased The Boss will be when we conquer Tenno for him!

James adds, "He'll promote us for sure!"

Meowth shouts, "We'll be living in luxury!"

Ash and Oak look out the window, Team Rocket ducks down. Ash says, "Odd, I could have sworn I heard something."

Team Rocket all look at each other and chant excitedly in whisper, "A life of luxury is the life for us."

Wobbuffet pops out of its Pokéball and declares, "Wobbuffet!" Jessie sighs and returns him.

James states, "We better go tell The Boss the good news."

The three sneak away. They make it to a pay videophone booth. James digs through his pockets and says with horror, "Umm…guys? I think I used my last quarter when we called The Boss yesterday."

Jessie says, "I don't have any money."

They both turn to Meowth, who says, "Hey, don't look at me, just call collect."

James exclaims, "Good idea!" He picks up the phone and dials a number. A female Team Rocket operative appears on the screen. James complains, "Hey, I dialed the Boss' number, what gives?"

The girl sighs, "Oh great, it's you guys. Mr. Giovanni has decided to have all of his calls screened…just in case you three call."

Jessie demands, "why wouldn't the boss want to talk to me? I get one of these losers, but me?"

The operative sighs with annoyance. "Look, if you have something to tell Mr. Giovanni, I'll tell him for you."

James says, "Alright then, tell him that we're going to the Tenno Region in order to conquer it in his name."

"Right, sure." On the other side a loud ruckus is heard.

Jessie asks, "What's going on there? It sounds like you're under attack."

"We might as well be. These two crazed Pokémon showed up the other day. We haven't been able to calm them down."

Just then, the girl is shoved aside and two new Pokémon appear on the screen. One bears a resemblance to Arbok, except its body is longer, yet more slim. The patterns on its hood are spread across its entire body. It also has sharp fangs coming out of its mouth from both the top and bottom. It frantically starts to say in a hissing voice, "Repiv, repivvvvv!"

The other appears like Weezing, except with a third head segment growing out of the left of its main head, this one half the size as the main one. It says as if its choking, "Hak…haking…hak!"

For a few moments, Team Rocket is unsure how to responds. Then suddenly Jessie and James' recognize the Pokémon. James questions, "Weezing?"

Jessie questions, "Arbok?"

The two Pokémon excitedly nod their heads. The operative who answered the phone pushes them out of the way and asks, "Are these your Pokémon?"

The two nod. James answers, "Yes…at least they used to be. We had to leave them behind a while ago."

"No wonder they've been going crazy. They're trying to find you! We'll catch them in Pokéballs and send them to you." Jessie and James nod.

* * *

Ash is at a harbor with Pikachu on his shoulder. He's looking at what first might appear to be a large ship, but closer examination reveals it be much more of a sleek and futuristic design. On top of that, it's not even touching the water, rather its hovering a few feet above it. Ash asks a man walking by, "Hey sir, what's up with that weird boat?"

The man looks up at it. "Oh that, that's what all boats are like in the Tenno Region, they've developed technology for hovercraft, that boat is but one example." The man walks away.

Ash marvels, "Wow, that's amazing."

Someone calls out, "Last call for those boarding the ferry to the Tenno Region!"

Ash rush over, "Wait for me!" He shows the man his ticket and boards. The hover boat disembarks. As soon as it leaves the harbor, it begins to travel at high speeds, faster than any normal boat.

* * *

A little bit later, Ash is looking over the rail of the boat, staring out at sea. Suddenly he hears people gasping in surprise all around the deck of the boat. He hears people saying stuff such as, "Look, up there!" or "What's that!?"

Ash looks towards the direction that everyone is pointing in. Floating towards the boat is none other than Team Rocket's balloon (the pre-Unova Meowth balloon). Jessie begins the their motto, "Prepare for trouble!

James continues, "Make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

Meowth comes in with, "Meowth, that's right!"

Mime Jr. and Wobbuffet come out of their Pokéballs to says "Mime mime!" and "Wobbuffet!" respectively.

Ash sighs, "Not you guys again! Can't you just stay in Kanto!?"

James asks, "Why would we ever do that? Pikachu is here."

Jessie and James each throw a Pokéball, sending out their newest Pokémon. Ash observes, "It looks like Team Rocket got new Pokémon." He pulls out his Pokédex.

On Jessie's Pokémon, it says, "Repiv, the Viper Pokémon, and a Poison-Type. Repiv have some of the most powerful venom in the world, one bite could poison a Wailord. Repiv evolves from Arbok with use of the Poison Fang item."

Then James'. "Haking, the Toxic Gas Pokémon and a Poison-Type. Having grown an extra head, Haking can produce even more gas than Weezing. It will eat various rotten foods in order to produce its volatile gas. Evolves from Weezing with the use of the Radioactive Sludge item."

Pikachu hops off of Ash's shoulder and prepares to fight. Jessie commands, "Repiv, Poison Fang, now!"

James commands, "And you use Sludge Bomb Haking!"

Repiv slithers at high speeds towards Pikachu. It opens its mouth and its fangs glow purple. Ash commands, "Dodge it Pikachu!" Pikachu jumps out of the way, but is put in the way of the Sludge Bomb. "Counter with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu's tail turns silver and metallic. "Chu pika!" It hit's the Sludge Bomb back at Haking, knocking it back.

"Alright Pikachu, now use Thunderbolt on Repiv!"

"Pikaachuuuuu!" The electric attack hits Repiv and sends it flying as well. Team Rocket's Pokémon land at the end of the boat.

"Now let's finish this up! Use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu begins to run towards the downed Pokémon. "Pika, pika, pika, pika, pika…" Electricity begins to gather around him. "Chu!" He hits the Pokémon, sending them flying into the air. The two Pokémon crash into Team Rocket's balloon, causing it pop, sending Team Rocket flying away.

Following Team Rocket flying through the air, Meowth sighs, "Well, here we go again."

James exclaims, "I'm just happy to be with my dear old Weezing…I mean Haking again!" He hugs Haking.

Jessie nods. "Yes, I'm happy that you're back too Repiv."

All of them at once say, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They disappear in a flash of light.

Back at the boat, Pikachu hops back onto Ash's shoulder. Ash says, "Good job Pikachu!" He takes a moment to look off in the distance. He can see land approaching. "Look at that, we're almost there!"

Pikachu smiles. "Chu!"

"Soon we'll be in a whole new region. There will be new places to explore, and new Pokémon to see. I can't wait." Pikachu appears to agree.

_ And so, Ash's newest adventure is just about to begin. Who knows what could happen? The only way to find out is to stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	2. Episode 2: Enter Planetary

Episode 2: Enter Planetary

Ash and Pikachu are getting off of the hover boat in a small seaside town. _We join our hero as he takes his first steps into the Tenno Region. But he's not the only one starting a journey. Let's first take a look at a young girl on her tenth birthday._

The girl from the previous episode steps out of her room. She is dressed in a white shirt with small red vest over it. She has a red skirt and wears a white sun hat with a red and black Pokéball design on it. She also has an over-the-shoulder bag. Her mom is standing in front of her. The girl twirls around and asks, "So, what do you think?"

"You look adorable honey. Just like a new trainer should."

"Na ah, that's coordinator."

The mom smiles. "Of course. You know your way to Professor Pine's lab, right?"

"Of course mom, everyone in town does."

"I know, but it is better safe than sorry."

She smiles. "Right. Alright, I'm ready to go."

"Just be careful, promise me you won't take any risks that would put you or your Pokémon in danger."

The girl grows a little annoyed. "I know mom, I know."

The mom bends over, hugs her, and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

The girl pulls away. "Mom, I'm not a kid anymore, I'm ten."

The mom chuckles. "You'll always be my little Brenda."

The girl, Brenda, begins to walk towards the door. "I promise that I'll call you when ever I get the chance. Don't worry about me."

"I don't think that anything could stop me from worrying, but I'll try. Good luck."

Brenda smiles. "I won't even need it." She walks out the door. Once out, she says to herself, "Oh boy, this is going to be great!" She runs down the street.

After a little while of running and taking a couple of turns, she makes it to a large building. A sign mounted on it above the door says, "Pine Research Laboratory. Discovering the link between Pokémon and outer space."

Brenda grins and walks in. Once inside she sees two people. One is a taller, older man with graying hair which is combed back neatly. He wears a lab coat. The other is only just older than Brenda. He wears a white suit with gray pants and has blue hair. On the left side of his chest, there is an emblem. It is a yellow P with a sun inside of the hole on the P, and several ovular lines around the outside of the P with dots on various parts of them, as if representing planets orbiting a star. The older man says, "I'm sorry, I would like to help out Team Planetary if I could, but I just can't."

The other asserts, "Of course you can! You have three available Pokémon, I only require one."

"Look, Team Planetary is a respectable organization, and I realize that without them we wouldn't be where we are today with technology, but these Pokémon are reserved for new trainers who have registered. If you want to go register, and come back after a week, once your registration is complete, I'll gladly give you a Pokémon, but for now, I just can't."

The man shakes his head. "You'll regret crossing Team Planetary." The man storms out, walking past Brenda.

The remaining man notices her and says, "Ah, Brenda, right on time. I'm sorry you had to see that. Those Team Planetary types, they think they rule the world or something." He shakes his head. "Let's not worry about that though, are you ready to chose your first Pokémon?"

"Yes Professor Pine."

"Excellent."

Then there is a knock on the door. Pine appears confused. He calls, "Come in!" The door opens and Ash and Pikachu walk in. Pine asks, "Hello, and who are you?"

Ash smiles. "My name's Ash Ketchum, I'm from Pallet Town. This is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika!"

"Ah, Pallet Town. Samuel Oak must have sent you."

Ash nods. He pulls off his back pack and digs into it. He pulls out the Meteoric Shard.

Pine's eyes light up. "My, my, this is the finest specimen I've ever seen! I must remember to express my gratitude to Samuel." He turns back to Brenda. "I'm sorry my dear, I've been waiting for this delivery for a while now." He takes the Shard from Ash and places it on a table across the room. "Now, for that Pokémon." He shows Brenda to a table with three Pokéballs on it. He presses the button on each, releasing three Pokémon.

Ash's eyes go wide with awe. He asks Brenda, "Are you picking your first Pokémon!?"

She nods. "Yup."

Ash approaches the table and pulls out his Pokédex. He points it at the first Pokémon. It is a green and tan quadruped Pokémon. Growing out of its back is a small fern plant. On its head is a just sprouted fern fiddlehead. The Pokédex activates. "Sporout, the Fiddleheaded Pokémon and a Grass and Ground combo-type. It is believed that long ago Sporout were only Ground-Type Pokémon, but they formed a symbiotic relationship with spores from another planet. Now all Sporout are given spores at birth. Evolves into Buffern at Level 16."

The next one is a red and orange turtle. On its shell is a single cell from a solar battery. "Turcell, the Solar Cell Pokémon and a Fire and Steel combo-type. The panel on Turcell's back is used to absorb energy from the sun to power its Fire-Type attacks. If threatened Turcell will retreat into its shell. Evolves into Turtsol at Level 16."

The final is a purple and blue bipedal Pokémon. It stands in a hunched position and has a large head. Its hands and feet are webbed and it has large, black eyes. "Kappaqua, the Psychic Kappa Pokémon and a Water and Psychic combo-type. For a long time, Kappaqua were thought to be nothing but myth. No one is sure where Kappaqua come from. Some even believe that they came from outer space. Evolves into Kappaqueous at Level 16."

Ash puts away his Pokédex and exclaims, "That's so cool! I remember the day I got Pikachu, he was my first Pokémon. Which one are you going to chose?"

Brenda looks them over. She responds, "To be honest, I haven't fully decided yet. I wanted to see them for myself first."

Professor Pine says, "There's no need to rush. This could be one of the most important decisions you make. Take your time."

Brenda nods. As she's looking, there's a sudden crash. The entire back wall collapses. Pine shouts in surprise, "Great stars above! What just happened!?"

The dust clears revealing three men on the other side of the broken wall. One is the guy from before, and the other two are new. They both wear the exact same outfit, a white and grey jumpsuit with the same P emblem as the first's, except larger, and more centered. The top, sides, and back of their heads are covered by the same sort of hats that astronauts wear underneath their space helmets. In front of the one on the right is a Solrock and the one on the left has a Lunatone.

Pine demands, "Cosmo, what are you doing!?"

The guy from before, Cosmo, says, "You chose not to assist Team Planetary. I need a Pokémon, and now I have no choice but to take one from you." Cosmo walks forward a few steps. Turcell and Kappaqua appear frightened by the collapsing wall. They leap off the table and run out.

Ash shouts, "Don't you dare touch one of those Pokémon!"

He charges at Cosmo, but one of the Team Planetary grunts commands, "Solrock, Psychic Attack!" Ash is thrown back by the attack. He says smugly, "None of you are moving a muscle."

Cosmo approaches the remaining Pokémon, Sporout. It appears unafraid. Cosmo says, "You are a brave one. You'll suit me fine." He picks up the Pokéball next to it and returns it to the ball. He looks up towards Pine. "This could have been easy. I truly regret having to go to such extremes." He turns around and walks out. "Oh, yeah. Send the bill for the wall repair to Team Planetary. We'll handle it." He and the grunts leave. The psychic field around Ash, Brenda, and Pine dissipates.

Ash shouts, "I'll get that guy!" and runs out.

Brenda follows him and says, "I'll get the Pokémon that ran away!"

After the two have left, an overwhelmed Professor Pine says to himself, "And I'll…just clean up here."

* * *

Ash and Pikachu manage to catch up with the Team Planetary group on the outskirt of the town. Ash shouts, "You're going to give back that Pokémon you stole! Pikachu, Thunder Bolt!"

Pikachu leaps off of Ash's arm and charges for its attack. "Pikaaa chuuuuuuu!"

One of the grunts stops running and commands, "Solrock, Protect!"

"Sol!" The sun Pokémon creates a barrier around it that halts Pikachu's attack.

Cosmo says, "We have no time for this. Take care of him you two!"

Both grunts say, "Yes sir!"

One shouts, "Solar Beam, now!"

The other, "Use your Lunar Beam!" Both Pokémon charge up energy. The Solrock fires a golden beam of energy, while Lunatone lets loose a shadowy beam.

"Pikachu, dodge, and then use Electro Ball!"

Pikachu leaps above the attacks and then charges a ball of electricity on its tail. "Pikaachu!" It launches the ball at the two Pokémon.

Both grunts command, "Deflect it with Psychic!" Both Pokémon's eyes glow purple and purple energy appears around the Electro Ball, catching it. It is then thrown back at Pikachu.

Pikachu attempts to escape, but is unable. "Pika!"

Both grunts continue, "Now let's finish this! Stone Edge!"

"Solrock!" "Lunatone!" Both summon several sharp-edged stones and send them flying at Pikachu.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, no!" Pikachu is hit by the stones and falls to the ground, knocked out. Ash runs over to Pikachu and picks him up.

Cosmo looks at Ash and says, "That's what you get for following me. Come on, move out." He and the grunts run off.

A tear comes to Ash's eye. "Pikachu, I'm sorry." He looks around frantically, and to his luck, there is a Pokémon Center nearby. He gets up and runs towards it.

Watching from the top of a nearby building via binoculars is Team Rocket. Jessie asks in shock, "Did you just see that? Those guys just beat the Twerp's Pikachu!"

James looks deep in thought. Meowth says, "They may have beat Pikachu, but think about their name! They call themselves Team Planetary! They're obviously copying us!"

Jessie exclaims, "You're right! We're the original space-based team! They're trying to steal our image! Come on James, what do you think?"

"Oh, sorry. I just can't help but shake the feeling that I've heard of Team Planetary before. Something from my boot camp days."

Meowth says, "Don't worry about it! We need to go show those phonies who the real team is!"

Jessie and James cheer, "Yeah!"

Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie grunts, "Did I ask for your opinion?" and returns him to his Pokéball.

* * *

Ash bursts through the door of the Pokémon center. Behind the counter is a Nurse Joy (the same one as from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh). She says in surprise, "Oh my, your Pikachu looks badly hurt!"

Ash nods. "Please Nurse Joy, can you help my Pikachu?"

She nods. "Don't worry, we have one of the best doctors around right now." She calls off, "Doctor, we need you!"

A familiar voice shouts back in a dream-like fashion, "Coming my dear!" Someone in a doctor's coat comes running around the corner. The view of him is from behind, so we can't make out who it is. He suddenly stops cold upon seeing Ash. He says in shock, "It's Ash…"

Ash also looks surprised. He stammers, "It's…it's Brock…" Sure enough, standing there is none other than Brock.

* * *

The Team Planetary group is standing in a forest clearing. Cosmo states, "We'll simply wait here for our pick-up. I think we discouraged any followers."

Just Jessie can be heard chuckling. James shouts, "Think again!"

The group looks towards the sky to see the Meowth balloon descending towards them. Cosmo demands, "Who are you!?"

Meowth comments, "I sense a motto coming on."

Sure enough, Jessie begins, "Prepare for trouble, all you fakes!"

James continues, "And make it double, we'll be an ache!"

"To protect the world from shameless copycats!

"To unite all people against you brats!"

"To announce the evils of copyright infringement!"

"Trust me, it is not a compliment!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket is the original all day and night!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Mime mime!"

"Wobbuffet!"

Cosmo puts his hand to his forehead in annoyance. He says sarcastically, "Great, Team Rocket is in Tenno now, this is just what I need."

One of the grunts laughs and says, "I wouldn't worry too much about these two goofs."

Meowth says with offense, "_Three_ goofs, that's _three_ goofs!" He quickly takes it back. "Forget I said that goof part."

Jessie states, "Besides, it's you who is the goof. How dare you copy such a great and powerful organization as Team Rocket?"

Cosmo turns away from them and simply says, "Get rid of them."

Jessie asserts, "Excuse me, I was talking to you!"

James adds, "Yeah, how rude!"

The grunts are already commanding their Pokémon, "Solrock, Solar Beam!" and "Lunatone, Lunar Beam!" The combined attacks impact Team Rocket and explode, causing them to be sent flying away.

On their way out, Jessie says with anger, "Those phonies get me so angry!"

James shout, "How dare they attack us!"

Meowth turns forward, shrugs, and states, "Take this as a lesson kids, copyrights exist for a reason."

They all say in unison, "Looks the originals are blasting off again!"

* * *

Brenda is running through the forest. She appears nervous. She calls out, "Turcell, Kappaqua, where are you!?" She continues to make her way forward.

Out of nowhere she hears the cry of a distressed Pokémon, "Kap! Kappaqua! Kappa!"

Brenda dashes forward and finds herself right before a cliff. There, hanging off of a scrawny tree over the cliff, is the missing Kappaqua. The branch its on is sagging, and seems dangerously close to snapping. Brenda shouts, "Kappaqua, are you okay!?"

The Pokémon responds with a panicked, "Kappa! Kappa!"

"Right, of course, hanging over a cliff. Alright, just hang in there, I'll figure out a way to get you down." She looks around and sees a fallen branch. She runs over and picks it up. "I'm going to extend this branch towards you, you just need to grab onto it. Okay?"

"Kappa! Kap!" Brenda does as she explained. Kappaqua looks towards the branch, towards Brenda, and then back to the branch. It shouts, "Kappaqua!" as it leaps from its branch to hers. She pulls the branch and falls backwards as she does. Kappaqua lands on her stomach.

She asks, "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

It sighs, "Aqua…"

"Come on, let's get back to the lab." She gets up and tosses the branch into some nearby bushes. As soon as it lands a buzzing sound can be heard. She looks towards Kappaqua and asks, "Do you hear that, or is it just me?" It gulps in nervousness.

Out of the bushes rise ten or so Beedrill. They can be heard buzzing, as well as saying, "Bee, bee, bee!"

"That's a lot of Beedrill…" Brenda, still carrying Kappaqua runs away. The Beedrill follow them in pursuit. They run through the forest, weaving through trees.

After running through the forest for a little Kappaqua starts to complain, "Kappa, kap, kappaqua!"

Brenda questions while still panicking, "What is it Kappaqua?"

Kappaqua jumps out of her arms and lands before the Beedrill, who stop as soon as they see that Brenda and Kappaqua have. "Kappa kappa!"

Brenda realizes what it means. "You want to protect me?"

It affirms, "Kappa!" It closes its eyes in concentration and then shouts, "Kappaqua!" as its eyes glow purple. A purple energy appears around all the Beedrill and they're thrown to the side.

Brenda exclaims, "That was a Confusion attack, and a powerful one at that!"

As if to show it has more, it fires a jet of water from its mouth, soaking the Beedrill.

"And that was a Water Gun! You're a powerful Pokémon!"

The wet Beedrill fly away. Kappaqua gives a prideful, "Aqua!" it jumps back into Brenda's arms.

She smiles and says, "I guess we're even now, aren't we?"

* * *

Ash is standing in front of a window in the Pokémon center. On the other side is Pikachu, lying on a hospital table. Ash sighs. Out of a door next to the window, Brock walks out. Following him is a Blissey. He says, "I've done all I can, Pikachu should recover shortly."

Ash breaths a sigh of relief. "That's good to know." He turns to Brock. "Alright, so tell me what's up. The last time we talked, you were going to study to become a doctor."

Brock smiles. "Yeah, those were the good old days. I did anyways. I got through all of that though. Now I'm a traveling Pokémon doctor. Blissey here and I travel from Pokémon Center to Pokémon Center helping out the Nurse Joys." At the mention of Nurse Joy, Brocks face goes into a dream-like state. "Ah…all the Nurse Joys…it's the best job a man can ask for."

Ash looks at the Blissey and asks, "So is this the same Chansey you had back then?"

"You bet she is. She's been a big help to me. Isn't that right?"

"Blissey!"

Brock's expression turns more serious. "Now you have something to tell me. What happened to Pikachu?"

Ash sighs. "I was at Professor Pine's lab when these bad guys calling themselves Team Planetary stormed in and stole one if his Pokémon. I chased after them, and they did this to Pikachu."

A chime goes off and Brock says, "Ah, Pikachu must be ready to go now."

"That's good to hear." Brock leads Ash into the next room. Ash bends down next to Pikachu's bed and asks, "Pikachu, how do you feel?"

Pikachu smiles. "Chu."

"That's great. I was worried for you. Come on, we need to go." Pikachu hops onto Ash's shoulder. The two start to leave.

Brock gets in his way and says, "Stop right there. Don't tell me you're going after Team Planetary again."

Ash clenches his fists. "Brock, I have to. You don't get it. I think about those guys just stealing Pokémon because they want to. It gets me so mad. I have to go."

Brock sighs. "Fine, just be careful. I don't want to see you in here again."

Ash smiles. "Don't worry Brock, I won't"

* * *

Ash is traveling through the forest. As he's running, he hears the terrified cries of a Pokémon, "Tur, tur! Turcell!"

Ash goes through some trees, towards the cry. There's a river and on a rock in its center is the missing Turcell. Ash shouts, "That Turcell is in trouble!" The Turcell sees him and starts to cry even more. "Don't worry, I'll help you!" Ash wades into the water and picks up the stranded Pokémon. Holding it above his head, he carries it back to the shore.

He sets it down and the Turcell grows excited. It cries out in joy, "Turcell! Tur!" It rubs up against Ash's leg.

Ash says to it, "You're welcome. Hey, would you mind heading back the lab by yourself? There's something important I've got to do."

It nods. "Turcell."

Ash starts to move again. He calls back, "See you later!" He gets back to running through the forest. He says to Pikachu, "They left in this direction, hopefully we can catch up with them. Are you ready Pikachu?"

Pikachu gives a determined , "Chu!"

They keep on running, and after a little bit they make it into the clearing were the Team Planetary group is waiting. Sure enough, they're still there. One of the grunts says, "Um…boss…"

Cosmo sighs and turns around to see Ash. He comments, "My, my, we are determined, aren't we?"

Ash shouts, "I won't stop until you give back that Pokémon!"

The two grunts ready their Pokéballs for a battle. Cosmo steps forward and says, "You two sit this one out. I'll handle it personally." He pulls of a Pokéball from his belt and enlarges it.

"Let's do this Pikachu." Pikachu jumps off of his arm and lets loose some sparks.

Cosmo throws his Pokéball. "Go Sporout!" The fern covered Pokémon emerges.

Ash says, "Alright Pikachu, Sporout is part Ground-Type, so your Electric-Types moves won't work. We'll have to stick to your other moves. Let's start this off with a Quick Attack!"

Pikachu dashes with high speed at the Sporout. Cosmo commands, "Spore Guard!" Sporout stands still. Pikachu rams into it, knocking it back.

Ash shouts, "Perfect, now hit it again with an Iron Tail!"

Pikachu starts the attack. "Chu…Pika!" Something about Pikachu's move is sluggish and Sporout easily dodges.

Ash asks, "What gives? You're normally way faster than that!"

Cosmo explains, "Spore Guard is an interesting move. It cloaks the user in special spores which will spread to any Pokémon that makes direct contact with it. These spores slow down any non-Grass-Type Pokémon."

Ash is annoyed. "Alright, don't worry about it Pikachu, use another Iron Tail."

Pikachu moves in to attack again. Cosmo shouts, "Dodge, and use Razor Leaf!" Sporout jumps out of the way once more, and then sends several leaf projectiles at Pikachu. It tries to dodge, but is too slow.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

"Now, Razor Leaf, once more!"

"Pikachu, counter it with Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaachuuuuuu!" Pikachu's attack destroys all of the leaves.

"Now let's get your speed back up! Use Agility, and follow it up with a Quick Attack!" Pikachu begins to pick up speed as it runs towards Cosmo's Pokémon. It turns into a full out Quick Attack.

"Dodge it Sporout!" The Pokémon tries to, but Pikachu is too fast.

"Yeah, now an Iron Tail!" Pikachu switches into an Iron Tail and smacks Sporout away. It gets back up. The two Pokémon face each other, ready to go back at it.

Ash begins, "Once more, Quick-!" but before he can finish, an odd noise is heard. Overhead comes a hovering vehicle with a rope ladder hanging off of it.

Cosmo apologizes, "I'm sorry, but that's our ride. I must be off." The grunts jump on to the ladder and climb up. "Sporout, return!" The Pokémon returns to its ball.

Ash shouts, "Hey, get back here!" Cosmo grabs onto the ladder and the hovercraft flies away. "Pikachu, stop it with Thunder!"

"Pikaaachuuuuu!" The craft is too far away for the attack.

Ash sighs. "They got away…"

* * *

Later, Ash arrives back at the lab, which is still in ruins. Professor Pine and Brenda are there, and Brenda is still carrying Kappaqua. Ash sighs. Pine walks up to him asks, "Ash, what happened?"

"I caught up with those thieves, but then they got away. I'm so sorry I failed."

Pine slowly shakes his head. He turns to Brenda. "I'm sorry that I can't offer you the full selection of starter Pokémon."

She smiles. "Don't worry, I've already decided which one I want."

She laughs and Kappaqua happily says, "Kap kap!"

Ash looks around and asks, "Hey, where's Turcell?"

Pine asks, "I don't know, why?"

"I saw it in the forest, and I told it come back here, it said it would."

"I'll just have to wait for it to show up. I hope that that little Pokémon is okay." He sighs. "Anyways, on a lighter note, I talked to Professor Oak, he told me that you like to challenge Gyms."

Ash perks up a little. "Yeah, it's my goal become a Pokémon Master!"

"Perfect, because we actually have a Pokémon League here in Tenno."

"Did you hear that Pikachu!? They have Gyms here!"

"Pika!"

"I guess we'll leave for those right away!"

Brenda asks, "You're going to travel across the region?"

"You bet!"

"Would you mind if I came with you? I want to do the same."

"Why not, the more them merrier, right Pikachu?"

"Pika!"

Pine claps his hands together. "It always makes me happy to see new friends being made. I wish you both the best of luck on your journey."

Ash starts to run out through the broken wall. Brenda follows and calls back, "Good luck with fixing your lab Professor!" The Professor sighs.

As they're leaving town, Ash is saying to Brenda, "You'll love being a Pokémon trainer! You get to go wherever you want, and every day is an adventure!"

Brenda cheers, "I love adventure!"

"Who doesn't!?"

Brock's voice says, "I hope that you don't plan on having an adventure without me." They look behind him, and sure enough, Brock, in full travel clothes and a backpack is walking towards them.

Ash asks, "What are you doing here Brock?"

Brock laughs, "Do you think that I'd allow you to travel around with out me? Ha! I'm coming with you!"

"But what about your job?"

"That's the best part, I'd still be doing my job, traveling from town to town, that's what you do, right?"

Ash smiles. "Glad to have you back." He turns to Brenda. "Brenda, this is Brock, he's an old friend of mine. We go way back."

Brock extends a hand and they shake. He says, "It's a pleasure to meet you Brenda."

She says, "The same."

The three continue on walking out of the town.

_ Ash's new adventure has only just begun! Now with a group of friends, he embarks on a journey through the Tenno Region. One thing's for sure, you must stay tuned!_

As the group walks off, the Turcell from before peeks its head out from behind a building, and then races off after Ash.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. Episode 3: A Bird in the Hand

Episode 3: A Bird in the Hand

_ Today we join our heroes in the small town of Aster. It's the first stop for trainers wishing to enter the Tenno League. What adventure could this place have in store for them? Let's find out._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda stroll into a town. While still keeping the feeling of a small town, it also has several more futuristic aspects, such as holographic signs, or some hovering vehicles. Brenda says excitedly, "This is it, Aster Town!" She looks around, taking in the sights.

Brock is reading a guidebook. He says, "According to this, this is the place where new trainers sign up for the Tenno League."

Ash raises his fist in to the air excitedly. "Yeah!"

Brenda continues to looks around. She says, "This is the farthest I've ever been away from home."

Ash asks, "Really, you've never gone on any trips or anything?"

She shakes her head. "No, that's part of the reason I wanted to go on a Pokémon journey. It's the perfect opportunity to see the world."

Brock comments, "You've got that right. Come on, let's get to the Pokémon Center, so Ash can sign up for the Tenno League."

* * *

The group walks into the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy is standing behind her desk with a Chansey next to her. She says, "Hello, welcome to the Aster Town Pokémon Center. How may I help you?"

Ash starts to say, "I'd like to-"

He's cut off by Brock jumping in front of him and kneeling before Nurse Joy. His eyes turn to hearts and he says in a trace-like voice, "I'll tell you how you can help me. You can come with me, we'll live out our lives together as the perfect couple. Just tell me you'll say yes, and you'll make me the happiest man-"

Brock is then interrupted by Nurse Joy's Chansey ramming into him. "Chansey!" Brenda has been watching this entire encounter with an extremely confused look.

Nurse Joy scratches the back of her head awkwardly. She apologizes, "Sorry, my Chansey doesn't take well to people getting that close to me."

Ash laughs with slight embarrassment, then says, "No, it should be me apologizing. My friend can get a little crazy around girls."

Brock, who's still lying on the floor, slowly raises his hand and says, "I regret nothing…" and the hand falls.

Ash says, "Anyways, I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu. I just got to this region, and I want to sign up for the Tenno League."

Nurse Joy smiles. "Of course. Do you have a Pokédex?"

Ash digs around in his pocket and pulls out his Pokédex. "Here it is."

Nurse Joy takes it and turns around, plugging it into a computer. The electronic voice of the Pokédex says, "This unit is registered to Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town." On the computer screen a picture of Ash pops up, along with one of Pikachu and slots for five other Pokémon.

Nurse Joy unhooks the Pokédex and hands back to Ash. "Alright, you're all registered. This is your official League Pass," she hands Ash an ID card with his picture on it, "and this is your badge case." She hands him an ornately designed box with the picture of a starscape on it.

Ash takes both. "Tenno League, here I come!"

"Pika!"

Ash turns to Brenda and suggests, "Hey Brenda, why don't you sign up, gym battles are a great way to test your skills as a trainer."

She shakes her head. "No, I actually have something else in mind."

"Really, what?"

She smiles. "It's a secret."

Just as she's saying that, two young boys run into the room. One is carrying a Weedle, the other an Oddish, both are hurt. The one with the Weedle shouts, "Nurse Joy, Nurse Joy! Please help our Pokémon!"

She asks, "Oh no, what happened!?"

The other boy explains, "It was that Apprentichick again."

"Oh no, don't worry, I'll take care of your Pokémon." Chansey brings in a gurney and the boys place their Pokémon on it. Nurse Joy and Chansey run into the back room with them.

Ash asks, "What happened to them?"

The first boy exclaims, "Didn't you hear me? The Apprentichick happened!"

Brenda steps forward. "I'm sorry, we're not from around here, we don't know what you mean."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't realize. You see, about a month ago, this Pokémon, Apprentichick flew into town, and ever since, if it sees a Pokémon, it will challenge it to a battle, and it won't take no for an answer. If it ever comes close to losing, it will just fly away, but then it'll just come back later to fight again. It's not only a major annoyance, but it also hurts Pokémon that aren't ready for battle, just like ours."

Brock, who's spent the past few minutes on the floor, springs up saying, "That's awful!"

The other boy says, "Tell me about it. There's nothing we can do about it. It just won't stop."

Brock looks thoughtful. "I wonder what would cause that kind of behavior in a Pokémon."

"Nobody is really sure."

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are now walking down the streets of Aster Town. Brock still looks concerned. He says, "The story with the Apprentichick concerns me. There's something else going on beyond just it wanting to fight."

As he's saying that, they hear a bird-like Pokémon cry from above, "Apprentichick!" The Pokémon lands in front of them. It is a small bird Pokémon with dark grey feathers about a foot high. Around its head and face is a pattern of lighter grey feathers, causing it to appear as if the Pokémon is wearing a knight's helmet. For a bird of its size, its legs are fairly large, inferring that it is as good a walker as well as a flyer. Along with those large legs are even larger talons. It hops from leg to leg and holds up its wings, as if they were fists. "Chick! Apprentichick!"

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Apprentichick, the Squire Bird Pokémon and a Flying and Normal combo type. Apprentichick are known to challenge Pokémon several times their own size to battle and are famous for their fighting spirit. Apprentichick spends up to ten hours a day training. Evolves into Falcoknight at level 17."

Brenda exclaims, "That must be the same one!"

Apprentichick shouts, "Chick, chick!" and points at Pikachu.

Ash grins determinedly. "You want to battle Pikachu?"

"Apprentichick!"

Pikachu jumps off of Ash's arm. "Chu!"

Brock warns, "Be careful Ash!"

Ash turns his hat backwards. "Don't worry Brock, we've got this."

Apprentichick flies into the air and then dives, with its wings glowing. Brock says, "Look out, here comes Wing Attack!"

"Pikachu, dodge! Then use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu rolls out of the way and Apprentichick misses, and then flies upwards. "Pikaaachuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes its Thunderbolt, which hits Apprentichick dead on. Apprentichick ignores it and dives down again. Just as it's about to hit Pikachu, with a sudden burst of speed it disappears and then reappears behind Pikachu, hitting it with a Wing Attack.

Ash asks, "What was that!?"

Brock explains, "That was Apprentichick's Aerial Maneuvers attack, it can make the Pokémon very tricky to hit." Apprentichick comes flying at Pikachu, with its talons glowing and poised for attack. Brock then explains, "And now its preparing to use Talon Grapple! That move inflicts both Flying and Fighting type damage!"

Ash says, "Alright, if it wants to fight close quarters, we'll fight close quarters. Pikachu, rapid fire Iron Tail!" Pikachu's Iron Tail slams into Apprentichick's talons. The two continue to attack each other, continuously impacting one another. Ash then commands, "Switch to Electro Ball!" In a break in attacks, Pikachu launches its Electro Ball, which hits Apprentichick directly, knocking it back. It quickly gets back up and then flies away. Ash calls out, "Wait, don't you want to finish our battle!?" But it ignores Ash. Pikachu climbs back up on Ash.

In a nearby alleyway, Team Rocket is hiding behind a dumpster. James states, "That Pokémon's got spunk."

Jessie shrugs. "I don't see the big deal."

Meowth cries, "What!? This Pokémon could be our chance at the big time!"

Jessie states, "I'm listening."

"Alright, consider this. The Boss is the leader of an army of Pokémon, right?" As he's a saying this, an image appears of Giovanni overlooking a large number of various powerful Pokémon training by attacking punching bags. "Now of course, he needs to train those Pokémon, but who wants to volunteer their precious Pokémon to get pummeled by The Boss' primo Pokémon? That's where Apprentichick comes in. It always wants to battle, no matter who the opponent is." The scene now shows Giovanni watching Apprentichick battle a Nidoking. "The best part is, that Apprentichick knows its limit, so it will stop, so it can fight again another day. After seeing the perfect living punching bag, The Boss will surely say 'Meowth and friends gave me a way to train my Pokémon better. They deserve to be rewarded.' And then we'll be rich!" The fantasy ends.

Jessie and James appear to agree with Meowth. They all chant, "Catch the Apprentichick, then we'll get rich quick!"

Wobbuffet comes out and continues the chant, "Wobba, Wobba, Wobba!"

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

(That's right, I decided to try this out for fun. If you think it's too silly, just skip it. If you want to play along, just read the provided Pokédex description, and guess which Pokémon I'm describing. The answer will be given during the next break.)

**Thanks to its gargantuan jaws, which could shred thick metal plates as if they were paper, this Pokémon was invincible in the ancient world it once inhabited.**

* * *

The group is now on the outskirts of town. Ash looks down. He says, "I can't believe it. We were having such a great battle, why would it run away like that?"

Brenda jokes, "Maybe it didn't like you?"

Brock says seriously, "Like I said before, that's not normal behavior, even for Pokémon like an Apprentichick."

Brenda points up in the sky, "Hey, look at that!" She's pointing at a big group of Pokémon flying above. In a large circle are various bird Pokémon, such as Pidgey, Hoothoot, Taillow, Starly, Pidove, and Fletchling. In the center of the circle are two Pokémon facing off, a Pidgeot and the Apprentichick. She asks, "Who's that Pokemon?" and pulls out a pink Pokédex.

It says in a female voice, "Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon and a Flying and Normal combo type. Pidgeot have the ability to fly at speeds up to Mach 2. Its wings are so powerful that when taking off, it blows away anything not attached to the ground. Evolves from Pidgeotto at Level 36."

Brock exclaims, "It looks like those two are battling!"

The Apprentichick makes the first move and charges at Pidgeot with a Wing Attack. The Pidgeot uses a Wing Attack of its own. The two collide in midair. The Pidgeot turns around and goes in for another Wing Attack, Apprentichick is too slow and gets hit. It falls towards the ground and lands with a thump. All of the bird Pokémon make noises as if they're laughing at it. Pidgeot turns and flies away. The rest of the flock follows.

Ash runs over to where Apprentichick fell. He looks down at it and asks, "Apprentichick, are you okay?"

It wakes up and sees Ash. It angrily shouts, "Apprentichick!" and launches a Gust attack at Ash, knocking him back. It then flies away.

Brock and Brenda run over and help Ash up. Brock says, "I get it now. It looks like Apprentichick wants to join that flock of Flying-Type Pokémon, but the initiation requires it to battle that Pidgeot. It's been training to raise its strength. It all makes sense now."

Brenda says, "I feel so bad for it. I wish that there was something we could do for it."

Ash states, "We've got to go back to the town."

Brock asks, "Why?"

"No one understands why it's doing what its doing. I want a chance to talk to it. Maybe I can convince it to train somewhere else, somewhere it won't bother people."

Brock and Brenda nod. Brock says, "Alright, let's do it."

* * *

**It's Tyrantrum!**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have made it to the center of the town. There seems to be a gathering of people. In front of them all is a raised platform with an official looking man in a suit standing on it. The man announces, "People of Aster Town, I have wondrous news! For too long now our town has been pestered by a certain, annoying, bird Pokémon. I, the mayor of Aster Town, am here to tell you now that we finally have a solution. I present to you the kind folks from Rocket Extermination!" Out on to the stage walk three people. Two tall, a guy with blue hair and a girl with red hair, and one short guy, with no hair, and oddly colored skin. They're all dressed in grey jumpsuits. "These kind people have offered to rid us of our problem."

The girl with red hair grabs the microphone from him and adds, "For a modest fee of course."

"Um…yes…of course. Anyways, we won't have to deal with that annoying Apprentichick ever again!"

Ash climbs up onto the stage and shouts, "No, you can't do this!"

The mayor tilts his head and asks, "Is something wrong young man?"

"Give me the chance, I think I can convince Apprentichick to leave your town alone…and I'll do it for free!"

The blue haired one says with outrage, "What?! Why would these kind people ever want a twerp - I mean young man - to do this instead of us, we're professional."

The short one adds, "Yeah! What he said!"

The mayor thinks it over. "Hmm…How about a contest!? Whoever can solve our problem faster gets to use their method!"

The red haired one shouts, "What?!"

She is pulled aside by the other two. The short one whispers, "Don't worry about it, I have a mech for this. There's no way the twerps could beat us." They all nod. The short one then says to the mayor, "Okay, we accept your challenge."

"Good, good! And you boy?"

Ash states, "I accept."

"Okay then, start at your convenience!"

* * *

Ash and the gang are now walking through the town. Ash calls out, "Apprentichick!"

Brock and Brenda also call, "Apprentichick!"

Brock stops and thinks aloud, "Hmm…I have an idea. I happen to have some Flying-Type Pokémon food. Maybe if we put some of that out, it will attract Apprentichick."

Brenda exclaims, "Good idea Brock!"

Brock pulls off his backpack and takes out a can of food and pours it into a bowl. He sets the bowl out and then the three of them hide behind a nearby car. After a few moments of waiting, the Apprentichick perches next to the bowl and starts pecking at the food.

Ash whispers, "It worked!" He runs out from behind the car and shouts, "Hey, Apprentichick, I want to talk to you!"

The Pokémon is startled by Ash and flies up a little. Upon seeing Pikachu, it lands again, and goes into a fighting stance. "Apprenti! Apprenti!"

Ash asserts, "I'm not here to battle! We need to talk! There are people who want to hurt you after you!"

"Apprentichick!"

Suddenly a voice over a loud speaker announces, "Too late!" Down the street comes marching a giant humanoid robot. One of its hands is a net and there's a glass dome covered cockpit on top of its head. The glass retracts to reveal the three "exterminators" that are sitting inside of it. The red-haired one says, "Hand over the Pokémon!"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda get in front of Apprentichick. Ash says, "We'll never let you take Apprentichick!"

Brock says, "Yeah, you guys are nothing but trouble!"

The two taller ones twitch. The blue haired one asks, "Did…he just…say…trouble?"

Brenda adds, "Yeah, and you might as well make it double!"

The red haired one says, "Prepare…for…trouble…"

The blue haired one says, "Make…it…double…"

The red one shouts, "I can't take it anymore!" She throws off her jumpsuit, revealing her to be Jessie. "Prepare for trouble!"

The blue haired one throws off his jumpsuit, and is in fact, James. "And make it double!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

Instead of saying his line, Meowth, now out of his costume, whacks the two of them on the back of the head and says, "You guys are morons!"

Ash shouts, "Team Rocket!"

Brock asks, "These guys are still following you around Ash?" Ash nods.

Brenda, who is confused, asks, "I don't get it. Who's Team Rocket?"

Ash explains, "They're a group of bad guys who are always chasing me, trying to steal Pikachu."

"That's awful!"

Jessie says, "Why thank you. We take pride in our despicableness."

James says, "Well you don't need to worry about us taking Pikachu, we're here for the Apprentichick!"

Meowth adds, "Yeah, and we're going to get it!" He presses a button and the arms of the robot extend out towards them. The normal hand swats Ash, Brock, and Brenda back, while the net hand catches Apprentichick. Meowth states, "Good luck getting out of that net, its designed so you can't break out of it!"

Ash shouts, "Apprentichick, no!" The Pokemon struggles to get out of the net, but it can't. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu jumps forward and attacks. The bolt hits the robot, but does nothing.

James laughs, "Hah, do you really think that we would forget to pika-proof our mech!?"

Ash looks angered. "Pikachu, Iron Tail on the net!"

Pikachu jumps at the net holding Apprentichick, "Chu, pika!" and manages to cut it open and Apprentichick flies out.

Team Rocket gasps. Jessie asks, "Hey, I thought you said that that net couldn't be broken out of!"

Meowth is embarrassed. "I said you couldn't break _out. _I never said anything about breaking _in._"

Apprentichick cries in challenge, "Apprentichick!"

Ash shouts, "Apprentichick, if you want to beat Team Rocket, listen to me!" It looks at Ash and nods. "Alright, Apprentichick, Wing Attack!" The Pokémon dives at Team Rocket's mech. The arm that isn't broken raises and tries to swat at Apprentichick. "Now, use your Aerial Maneuvers!" The Pokémon vanishes from sight, avoiding the arm, and then reappears behind the mech. It slashes at it with its wing, then repeats two other times at different angles. A triangular section of armor falls off. The mech turns around to try to stop it, but expose the new weak spot to Ash. He smiles. "Perfect. Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu begins to run at the weak spot and becomes covered in electricity. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika chu!" It rams into the exposed area, causing the mech to explode. Team Rocket is sent flying by the shockwave.

As they're flying off, they shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Ash shouts, "Great Pikachu!" He looks towards Apprentichick, who's flying towards him. "You too."

It says happily, "Apprenti!"

Ash looks at it for a few seconds and then says, "Hey, you and I make a pretty good team. I know that you want to get strong and join that flock of Pokémon." It nods its head. "I may not be the same as the flock, but I can help you get stronger. Why don't you come with me? We can train together, and maybe someday we can come back here, and you can have a rematch with that Pidgeot."

It thinks it over, and then nods its head. It exclaims, "Apprentichick!" happily.

Ash pulls out a Pokéball and throws it into the air. Apprentichick flies up and meets the button on the Pokéball, sucking it in. The ball falls back down to Ash and wiggles in his hands. After several shakes, the ball clicks. Ash holds the Pokéball towards the sky and poses. He shouts, "I just caught an Apprentichick!"  
Pikachu adds, "Pik pikachu!"

Brock smiles. "That's great Ash!"

Brenda adds, "Yeah, amazing. I feel like that Apprentichick was meant to be with you."

The three turn around and start to leave the town. A voice shouts, "Wait!" They turn around to see the mayor running towards them. He catches up with them and says, "That was brilliant! I watched the whole thing over security cameras. I can't believe that I almost hired criminals to do that job. Thank you so much. You have done a great service to our town."

Ash smiles and says, "I'm pleased to be of service."

The mayor nods and turns back around to leave. Ash, Brock, and Brenda continue out of the town.

_ And so our heroes leave Aster Town having gained a new friend in the form of a very determined Apprentichick. How will this new Pokémon effect their journey? Find out, as the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	4. Episode 4: Food for Naught

Episode 4: Food for Naught

Team Rocket is in the middle of a forest clearing, huddled in a circle. Jessie complains, "I'm hungry, where's lunch?"

Meowth pulls out a bag of chips. "This is what we got."

James looks happy, "Oh goody, I love chips!"

Jessie says, "Well too bad, they're mine." She grabs them out of Meowth's paws.

Both Meowth and James shout, "Hey!"

Jessie is stuffing the chips from the bag into her face. She mumbles with her mouth full, "I need these to keep up my figure."

James leaps for the bag, "No you don't!" He tries to grab the bag, but Jessie holds it up too high for him to grab it.

Meowth insults, "If you want to keep your figure, you should be eating less of those things, not stuffing your face!"

Jessie appears offended. "Are you calling me fat!?"

James comes in, "Maybe he is!"

"Why I never! How could you!?"

Meowth and James leap at Jessie and the three of them get into a brawl that results in a giant cloud of dust forming around them. Meanwhile, the chips are tossed out of the fight and land on the ground near by. The three continue to fight, not noticing.

At the same time, a Pokémon walks in curiously. It's a short little thing that looks similar to a chipmunk. Its brown with one big white stripe going down its back and a small, but bushy tail. It also has large front teeth. Around its neck is a collar. It pokes its nose at the chip bag and finds its way in. When it pulls its head back out, its cheeks have expanded and puffed out, apparently having stored all of the chips in side of them. It looks curiously at Team Rocket.

That's when James pokes his head out of the dust cloud and sees the Pokémon. He shouts, "Thief!" The fight instantly breaks up and the three look at the Pokémon.

The Pokémon in one gulp swallows all of the chips and smiles. While tilting its head to the side it says, "Munch? Chip?"

Hearts appear in Jessie's eyes. She shouts, "Cutie!" and runs over to it, scooping it up in her arms. "Why aren't you the cutest little thing I've ever seen!"

James storms over to Jessie and says angrily, "Might I remind you, that cute little thing just ate our lunch!"

Meowth extends his claws and says, "Yeah, now it owes us a bunch!"

Jessie says, "I don't care if it ate our brunch!" She nuzzles it. "It's just too cute to be angry at."

James and Meowth both shout, "Get it!" and lunge towards Jessie and the Pokémon. It jumps out of Jessie's arms and on to her head. It then leaps off and runs back into the forest. James and Meowth land on top of Jessie.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have set up camp in the woods next to a stream. All of their Pokémon are out and about. _We now find our heroes taking a break_ _and getting some well deserved rest. I'm sure I'm not the only one who knows what's on a certain young trainer's mind right now._

Ash is sitting at a table. His stomach rumbles. He asks, "Hey, Brock, when's the food going to be ready?"

Brock turns from his work and smiles. "Almost Ash, don't worry."

Ash turns around and looks at Brenda, who's sitting across from him. "You're going to love Brock's cooking. It's the best. I've missed it."

Brenda responds, "I hope so, I'm starving too."

Pikachu and Kappaqua are chasing each other around while Apprentichick watches from a short distance. Blissey is helping Brock cook. Brock walks over towards the playing Pokémon with three bowls of food. He says, "No need for the Pokémon to wait, their food is ready now." Brock sets down the bowls and the Pokémon come to eat. He then grabs an extra bowl for Blissey."

Kappaqua sits down in front of its bowl and picks up a piece of food with curiosity. It throws it in its mouth, and then smiles. "Qua!"

Brenda says, "Wow Brock, Kappaqua loves your food."

Brock responds, "Oh, it's nothing special."

Ash says, "He's just being modest. You see, before Brock became a Pokémon doctor, he wanted to be a Pokémon breeder. He was the best I knew, and still knows all the tricks of the trade." Ash looks over towards Blissey and asks, "Hey Brock, what happened to your other Pokémon, Croagunk and Sudowoodo?"

"They're back at the Pewter Gym with my mom and dad."

Brenda questions, "Pewter Gym?"

Ash answers, "Oh yeah, before Brock was a breeder, he was the Gym Leader at Pewter City, back in the Kanto Region, that's how we met." Ash thinks for a moment. "Speaking of gyms, I don't even know what gym I'm heading to first."

Brock suggests, "According to what I've heard, the closet gym would be in Crater Town."

Brenda shakes her head. "No, that wouldn't work. The only way to get to Crater Town is through the Crater Gate Caves, and there was recently a cave-in that's blocking anyone from getting to Crater Town the normal way. I say we should go to Horizoport City. It's the biggest, and only, city on Tenno Minor, and the gateway to Tenno Major, where you'll find more even more gyms."

Ash nods. "Alright then, Horizoport Gym it is."

Apprentichick is pecking at its food. It hears the cry of another Pokémon and looks up to see several Pidgey and a Pidgeotto flying overhead. While it's looking up, a shadowy figure dashes past its food bowl, taking all of the food, and then dashes away. Apprentichick looks back down to see an empty bowl. It looks at Kappaqua, sitting next to it, and shouts with anger and challenge, "Apprenti! Apprenti! Apprentichick!"

Kappaqua looks back at it with confusion. "Kappa?"

"Apprenti!" Apprentichick lunges one of its talons at Kappaqua, who dodges out of the way.

Pikachu tries to get between them. "Chu pika chu!" The two look angrily at each other.

Meanwhile, the same shadowy blur comes in and takes the food from Pikachu and Kappaqua's bowls. Both notice and cry out in surprise.

Ash gets up from eating his food and walks over. "What's wrong guys? Do you need more food?"

Pikachu points at his bowl. "Pika pika pika!"

Ash looks at him puzzled. "You're telling me that someone stole all of your food?"

"Pik." Pikachu nods.

"Hmm…"

Just then it can be heard, "Blissey!"

Everyone turns to see Blissey has grabbed the Pokémon seen before, its cheeks stuffed with food. It struggles. "Chip chip chip chip!"

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Chipmunch, the Cheek Pouch Pokémon and a Normal-Type. The cheeks of Chipmunch are able to stretch out to ten times their normal capacity in order to carry food. Chipmunch are almost always hungry and spend most of their waking hours in search of food. They carry food in their cheek pouches the few times when not hungry, storing it for later. Evolves into Squirrelutton at level 15."

Blissey is scolding the Pokémon, "Blissey, bliss, blissey."

Ash asks, "Did you steal their food? That's not nice."

Brenda adds, "Yeah, how would you feel if we stole your food?"

Brock carries over a stack of bowls filled with more Pokémon food. "Don't worry about it, we have plenty of food." He places another bowl of food in front of Pikachu, Kappaqua, and Apprentichick. They dig in. He also places another bowl next to Blissey. "Blissey, why don't you put down Chipmunch and let it eat?" Blissey slowly lowers Chipmunch and places it next to the bowl. Chipmunch starts to eat away. "See, there's enough for everybody."

Brenda asks, "What do you think it's doing here?"

Ash answers, "Looking for food, no doubt about it."

Brock notices the collar around its neck. "Look at that, this Pokémon must belong to someone."

Ash notices it as well. "Oh yeah." He kneels down in front of it and asks, "Hey there, are you lost?" It stops eating for just long enough to shake its head no. "So you know how to get back home?" It nods.

Brenda suggests, "Well we can't just leave it out here. If it knows its way home, maybe we go with it there."

Brock says, "I don't see why not."

Behind all of them is a bush. Out of it pokes the head of the Turcell from before. It observes them for a few moments, and then ducks back in.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon can manipulate an opponent's memory. Apparently, it communicates by flashing its three different-colored fingers.**

* * *

The group is now packed up and walking through the woods. Chipmunch leads the way. Ash asks, "Chipmunch, are you sure this is the way?"

It faces Ash and nods. "Munch."

After walking a little further, they hear the voice of a younger girl shouting, "My darling Chipmunch, there you are!" Running in comes a young girl dressed in a white and pink dress. She grabs a hold of the Chipmunch and cuddles it. She looks towards Ash, Brock, and Brenda. "Did you three find my precious Chipmunch?"

Ash answers, "Yeah, it kind of came to our camp and ate some of our Pokémon's food."

The girl bows. "I'm so sorry. I hope he wasn't too much trouble."

Brock says, "Not at all, we gave it some food of its own, and it hasn't bothered us since."

"That's good. My name is Alice. And of course you've already met my Chipmunch."

"Hi, I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this my partner Pikachu. These are my friends Brock and Brenda."

Both say at once, "Nice to meet you."

Brock asks, "Why was your Chipmunch out in the forest? It told us that it wasn't lost."

The girl laughs awkwardly. "Yeah, my little Chipmunch has a great big appetite, so sometimes when it gets hungry, it will wander out in search of food. It always comes back of course." She looks at Chipmunch and then exclaims, "Hey, I have an idea! You guys are Pokémon trainers, right? Why don't we have a battle?"

Ash steps forward. "Yeah, I never turn down a challenge!"

Brenda also steps forward and pushes Ash back. She says, "Get in line. Kappaqua and I haven't had a real battle yet, why don't you let us go first?"

Ash looks a little disappointed. "Okay…fine…"

Alice beckons them forward. "Come on, I know a good place for battles nearby."

* * *

**It's Beheeyem!**

* * *

Alice leads the group into a clearing. The floor is covered in grass and wild flowers, and a stream bisects it. Alice says, "Here we are, my personal battle ground."

Brenda says, "This is perfect. I'm ready for our battle."

Brenda and Alice move to opposite sides of the clearing. Brock steps between them and states, "I'll be the referee, if you don't mind."

Brenda says, "Sure."

Alice adds, "Of course."

Brock holds up his arms and announces, "This will be a one-on-one battle, no substitutions. The first trainer to knock out her opponent's Pokémon will be the winner. Begin the battle!"

Alice shouts, "Go my wonderful Chipmunch!"

Chipmunch leaps out in front of her. "Chip!"

Brenda throws her Pokéball. "Kappaqua, center stage!"

Kappaqua emerges ready for battle. "Kap kappa kap!"

Alice shouts, "We'll make the first attack! Chipmunch, use Hyper Fang!" Chipmunch's front teeth grow larger and glow. It runs at Kappaqua.

"Kappaqua, stop it with Confusion!" Kappaqua's eyes glow purple, and so does Chipmunch, which is stopped in its tracks and lifted up into the air. "Now hit it with your Water Gun!" Kappaqua then blasts a torrent of water from its mouth, hitting Chipmunch directly, knocking it backwards.

"Chipmunch, into the trees!" Chipmunch effortlessly climbs up a nearby tree. "Now use Stockpile!" Chipmunch sucks in air into its mouth, puffing up its cheeks.

"Kappaqua, hit it out of the trees, Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqua generates several orbs of water in front of it and shoots them at Chipmunch. However, Chipmunch manages to avoid the attacks by hiding behind various branches in the trees.

On the side lines, Brock nods. "Clever."

Ash asks, "What?"

"Brenda's using Aqua Bomb. You see, when Chipmunch used Stockpile, it raised its Defense and Special Defense. Now Brenda's countering with a move that could lower both of those stats back down."

Alice commands, "Chipmunch, let's use Stockpile again!" Chipmunch sucks in more air, swelling its cheeks further.

Brenda shouts, "Keep up the bombardment!"

"Aqua!" Kappaqua continues to fire its exploding water balls at Chipmunch, who continues to dodge.

"Now Chipmunch, Spit Up!" Chipmunch opens its mouth, and unleashes a massive beam of energy at Kappaqua, hitting it dead on.

"Kappaqua, catch yourself with Confusion, then Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqua stops itself from flying backwards with its Confusion attack, then instantly unleashes another Aqua Bomb, this one hitting Chipmunch out of the tree, causing it to fall.

"Quickly Chipmunch, another Stockpile!" Chipmunch fills its mouth again.

Brenda warns, "Watch out, another Spit Up is coming!" Kappaqua readies itself.

"Now Chipmunch, Swallow!" Chipmunch gulps down what it has stockpiled, and glows momentarily. Alice explains, "The energy gathered from Stockpile can either be used to attack with Spit Up, or to heal with Swallow."

"Looks like we have to start over, Kappaqua, give it another Water-"

Brenda is cut off when a mechanical arm reaches out and grabs Chipmunch, pulling it up into Team Rocket's balloon. Alice shouts, "Chipmunch!"

Brenda sounds annoyed, "Not you guys again!"

Jessie laughs. "Yes, us again!"

James adds, "And we're here to win!"

Meowth finishes, "So you might as well give in!"

Alice asks, "Who are you people?"

Jessie begins, sounding infatuated, "Prepare for trouble, you're so cute indeed!"

James continues, sounding angry, "Make it double, you stole all of our feed!"

"To protect the world from major cuties!"

"To unite all those who are foodies!"

"To denounce the evils of cuteness and adorability!"

"To punish those who follow gluttony!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime, mime!"

Alice demands, "Why did you take my Chipmunch!?"

James answers, "It stole our lunch! You really should learn how to control your Pokémon better!"

Jessie, who's holding Chipmunch, adds, "Not to mention this Pokémon is the cutest of the cute, and I'm claiming it as my own!"

"You thieves!"

Meowth smiles. "We take that as the highest compliment."

Ash runs forward and Pikachu leaps off of his shoulder. Brenda and Kappaqua also prepare to fight.

Jessie and James through their Pokéballs. "Go Repiv!"

"Go Haking!"

"Repiv, use Poison Sting!" Repiv shoots hundreds of poisonous needles at Pikachu.

"Pikachu, dodge!" Pikachu leaps out of the way.

"Haking, use your Sludge Bomb!" Haking fires several balls of sludge at Kappaqua.

"Kappaqua, use Confusion to catch the Sludge Bomb!" Kappaqua catches the attack and sends it back at Haking.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail on Repiv!" Pikachu slams Repiv with an Iron Tail, causing it to crash into Haking.

"Kappaqua, Aqua Bomb, now!" Kappaqua fires another bomb at the two enemy Pokémon, which sends them flying back into the balloon's basket. "Now, use Confusion to get back Chipmunch!" Kappaqua uses its psychic powers to levitate Chipmunch away from Team Rocket, and into Alice's arms.

Jessie shouts, "Hey, how dare you take my cutie!"

James shouts, "Stealers keepers!"

Ash looks at Pikachu. "Let's finish this off Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaachuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes a massive bolt of lightning that hits Team Rocket, causing an explosion that results in Team Rocket flying away.

As they're flying, Jessie is crying. She wails, "My poor, poor Chipmunch! Why did we have to be separated!?"

James shouts at her, "How many times do I have to remind you?! It stole our lunch!"

"I can't stay angry at such a cute face!"

Meowth mumbles, "No wonder I have no problem being angry at you…"

Jessie shouts with anger, "What was that!?"

James sighs. "It doesn't matter because…"

They all say together, "We're blasting off again!"

* * *

Brenda and Alice shake hands. Alice says, "I guess our match is draw."

Brenda nods. "It would appear so. Your Chipmunch is really powerful."

"Thank you, so was your Kappaqua. I couldn't believe that was your first battle."

Brenda smiles. "We'll have to have a rematch next time we meet."

Alice nods. "For sure."

Brenda, Ash, and Brock begin to walk away into the distance, waving back at Alice, who in turns wave to them.

_ With her first battle behind her, Brenda is more sure than ever that she'll be a great Pokémon trainer and coordinator. How will she fare in the future? There's only one way to find out…stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	5. Episode 5: One Foot in the Cave

Episode 5: One Foot in the Cave

_ After a long journey, our heroes now find themselves at the entrance to a vast cavern system known as the Crater Gate._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda approach the entrance to a cave on the side of a mountain. Brenda explains, "This is it, the Crater Gate."

Ash asks, "Wait a second, didn't you say earlier that we couldn't get through the Crater Gate? You said that there was some sort of rock slide or something."

Brenda shakes her head. "Yes, I did say that, but there's still a detour. It will put us out in Route 3, which is on the way to Horizoport City."

Brock looks up from his guidebook. "She's right. There's an alternate path that should take us right where we need to be."

Ash starts to march for the cave. "Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

A voice shouts, "Hold it right there young man!" Ash freezes in mid-stride.

Out from behind a rock formation comes three spelunkers. They are each dressed in rugged brown clothes fit for exploration and wear helmets with lanterns on them. They carry various tools, such as ropes, pick-axes, and flashlights. There is a man with blue hair, a girl with red hair, and a short man. Ash asks, "What is it?"

The blue-haired man asks, "Have you ever been in these caves before?" Ash shakes his head.

The short one asks, "And are you aware that it's people who have never been in this cave who are most likely to get lost?"

Brenda laughs awkwardly and shrugs. "It makes sense I guess."

The red-haired one says, "Only a fool would go into these caves without the proper guides."

Brock asks, "So are you saying that you're the proper guides?"

The blue-haired one runs up to him and forcefully shakes his hands, exclaiming, "Not at all sir! But since you suggested it, we'd be happy to show you the way through the caves!" He drags Brock in. The other two grab Ash and Brenda and drag them as well.

Brock can be heard saying, "Thanks…I guess."

* * *

The group is now trekking through the cave. The three guides are leading the way, slightly ahead of the rest of them. The short one whispers, "It's all going according to plan. Once we get into the next chamber, we'll be able to grab the twerp's Pikachu and get out on our preplanned, foolproof escape tunnel."

The blue-haired one whispers, "The twerps won't know what hit them."

The red-haired one nods. "We'll finally capture Pikachu."

A Wobbuffet comes out of the redhead's Pokéball. It exclaims, "Wobbuffet!"

The three, undeniably Team Rocket, stop in their tracks and looks of panic hit their faces. Jessie returns it to its Pokéball. Brock calls forward, "Hey, that looks like a very energetic Wobbuffet you have there."

Jessie turns around nervously and says, "Why…thank you." She gulps. "I can never get it to stay in its Pokéball…"

Ash laughs, "We know another Wobbuffet that acts just like that."

Meowth beckons them forward. "Cut the chitchat. We've got to keep on moving if we want to get out of here before nightfall."

After a little while of walking forward, the group makes it into a large chamber. There are several forks in the path. Team Rocket suddenly stops. James turns around and says, "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you twer- I mean guys- why don't you guys let out all of your Pokémon?"

Brenda asks, "That's a little odd, why would we do that?"

Jessie answers, "Up ahead are some spectacular cave formations. You wouldn't want your Pokémon to miss the spectacle, would you?"

Ash nods. "Alright, that makes sense." He pulls of a Pokéball from his belt. "Come on out Apprentichick!"

Brenda throws her Pokéball. "You too Kappaqua!"

Finally, Brock throws his, "And let's not forget Blissey!"

The Pokémon all say, "Apprenti!" "Aqua!" and "Blissey!" all at once.

Team Rocket turns away from the group and they all rub their hands together. Jessie says, "All according to plan."

James says, "Of that I'm a fan."

Meowth comments, "They're going straight into the fire from the pan."

They turn back around and James says, "Without further ado-" He is cut off by a loud rumbling sound.

Everybody turns in the direction of the tunnel that is producing the sound. Within a few moments, a hoard of Graveler and Golem rolling at them at high speeds appear. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and the Pokémon jump to the side, out of the their way. Team Rocket jumps up in terror and then runs down a tunnel, with the rolling Pokémon behind them. They shout, "Team Rocket's running off again!" They disappear from sight.

Brenda says, "That was odd."

Ash asks, "You don't think…?"

Brock shakes his head. "Nah."

Ash asks, "What do you think caused those Pokémon to stampede like that?"

Brock thinks it over. "I'd have to assume that they were running away from something…"

Another low rumble can be heard. Brenda looks back into the tunnel from before with horror she asks, "Something like those…?"

Brock and Ash turn around to see two Onix and a Steelix rampaging towards them. Once they make it into the chamber, they begin to unleash attacks, destroying everything in sight. Everyone runs off in a different direction. Brenda and Ash down one corridor, Brock and Apprentichick down another, Pikachu, Blissey, and Kappaqua down yet another.

* * *

Some time later, Ash and Brenda slow down and breathe deep, heavy breaths. Ash pants, "I…think…we…made it…away…"

Brenda also pants, "Yeah…I hope…so…"

They both collapse on the floor. After a few moments of resting, Ash looks around. He comments, "Hey, where's Brock, Pikachu, and the others?"

Brenda looks around too. "I don't know. We must have gotten separated from them when we ran from those berserk Pokémon."

Ash gets up and calls, "Brock, Pikachu, Apprentichick!"

Brenda calls, "Kappaqua! Where are you!?"

They listen for a few seconds. There's no response. Ash starts to walk forward. "There's only one thing we can do, keep on heading forward."

"Shouldn't we go backwards? So we can find all the others?"

Ash shakes his head. "Nah. Brock will know we're trying to go. I'm sure that we'll all be heading in the same direction. We'll meet him at the exit."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**A master of courtesy and swordsmanship, it fights using extending swords on its elbows.**

* * *

Brock stumbles and falls after running. He gets back up and brushes himself off. Apprentichick flies in behind him. Brock looks around. "Hmm…It would appear that it's just you and me."

It lands on his shoulder and nods. "Apprentichick."

Brock looks around. "And I'd say that we're good and lost."

"Chick."

"There were so many twists and turns along the way here, I doubt that we could find our way back. Maybe if we keep on moving forward, we'll find the others." He thinks for a second and then looks at Apprentichick. "Hey, Bird Pokémon like you are supposed to be good at navigating. Do you thin that you could scout ahead and look for the best path to follow?"

It nods and gives a determined, "Apprenti!" It then leaps off of Brock's shoulder and flies forward, out of sight.

Brock shouts, "Good luck!"

* * *

**It's Gallade!**

* * *

Now we find Pikachu, Kappaqua, and Blissey just finishing their run from the rampaging Pokémon. Kappaqua looks back behind it, in order to check that they are no longer be chased, and crashes into a rock. It falls back and starts to cry. "Kappa! Kappa!"

Pikachu and Blissey stop running. Pikachu approaches Kappaqua and helps it back up. It asks, "Pika pika?" as if to ask if it's okay. Kappaqua continues to cry.

Blissey steps forward and says confidently, "Blissey, bliss," and motions to itself, inferring that it means leave this to me. Pikachu steps aside and Blissey picks up Kappaqua then sits it down on a rock. She asks, "Blissey?"

Kappaqua points to its face. "Aqua…"

Blissey nods. "Bliss." The egg in Blissey's pouch begins to glow. She pulls out the glowing egg and then it floats towards Kappaqua and melts away into it, covering it in a similar glow. Almost immediately, Kappaqua stops crying. Another egg appears in Blissey's pouch. "Blissey."

Kappaqua smiles and says happily, "Kappa kap!" Kappaqua stands back up.

Pikachu runs forward a little bit and calls back, "Pik pikachu pik!" Blissey and Kappaqua follow.

* * *

Ash and Brenda have continued to walk through the cave. Ash is still calling, "Pikachu, Apprentichick!"

Brenda's shouting, "Brock, Kappaqua!"

Ash takes a seat on a nearby rock. Brenda sits down next to him. Ash asks, "These caves seem to go on for a long time. How many different paths do you think there are?"

Brenda shrugs. "I don't know. Normally if you just stick to the assigned path, it's not supposed to be that hard to get through. We didn't stick to that path though."

Ash thinks for a second. "I wonder if there's a way that we could send a signal to the others?"

Brenda thinks about that statement. "I think I've got an idea." She gets up and grabs two large rocks off the floor. She then starts to bang them on the wall, creating a slow and steady, yet repetitive clacking noise. She explains, "All of the various tunnels in the Crater Gate are interconnected. Each one should have several areas were they connect to others. It's a decent possibility that the sounds made by hitting the walls could easily travel to other tunnels."

Ash jumps up. "That's a great idea!" He grabs to rocks of his own and starts hitting the opposite wall with the same pattern as Brenda.

After a little while of doing that, Brenda stops and instructs, "Let's listen for a couple of moments. Maybe if Brock heard us, he'll respond in the same way." Brenda puts her ear up against the wall. Ash does likewise.

After a few moments, a low rumbling can be heard. Ash exclaims, "That must be him!"

Brenda taps the wall a couple more times, then stops to listen again. The rumbling is constant, and slowly growing louder. Brenda slowly says, "Um…Ash?

Ash looks at her and finishes, "That isn't Brock, is it?"

They both turn their heads in unison behind them. Coming towards them is the horde of Graveler and Golem. Both of them go wide eyed. They jump onto a rock formation, and the Graveler and Golem come rolling past them. Once they all pass, they both breath a sigh of relief.

After a couple minutes Ash realizes, "Wait a second, if those Rock Pokémon just passed us…"

Brenda finishes, "Then those Onix and that Steelix must not be far!"

As if on command, the rampaging Onix and Steelix come into view. "Oonnnnn!" The Steelix fires a beam of silver energy that destroys much of the room. The two Onix begin to smash everything in sight.

Ash shouts, "Come on, let's get out of here!" They jump off of the rock and start running away. The Steelix and Onix chase them.

Brenda asks, "Why do you think they're so angry!?"

"I don't know! I wish Pikachu was here, we'd just fight off these Pokémon!"

After running for a little while, they make it into another chamber. It seems to be a dead end. Ash and Brenda are cornered. The Onix and Steelix, despite having them trapped, don't seem to focus on them.

Brenda says, "There's nowhere we can go! We're trapped."

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, where are you!?"

* * *

Pikachu, Kappaqua, and Blissey are marching through their tunnel. Kappaqua is sitting on top of Blissey's head and Pikachu is leading the way. After walking for a little while, they make it to a dead end in the tunnel. Pikachu sighs, "Pika…" Then, a faint and indiscernible voice is heard. Pikachu's ears poke up into the air. "Pika?" It runs over to the wall. "Pika!" Pikachu prepares for an Iron Tail and starts slashing at the wall. "Chu pika!" It does so continuously, barely making a dent.

Blissey lowers Kappaqua from her head and sets it on the floor. She then steps forward and pushes Pikachu back. She makes motion as if cracking her knuckles. Then shouts, "Blissey!" Blissey begins to glow with white energy. It then begins to punch at the wall, annihilating it. After several pounds at the wall, it crumbles away, revealing the room with Ash, Brenda and the attacking Pokémon.

Pikachu runs in and uses Iron Tail on the closest Onix. "Chu pika!" It hits right on Onix's forehead.

Kappaqua uses its Water Gun on the other Onix. "Aqua!"

Then Blissey runs in and grabs the Steelix by the tail. "Blissey!" It then swings the Steelix around in circles throwing it into the two Onix.

After taking all of these hits, the Steelix and Onix slither away. Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

Pikachu runs at Ash and jumps on to his shoulders. "Chu!"

Brenda runs over to Kappaqua, picks it up, and hugs it. "I'm glad that you're okay Kappaqua!"

Ash looks towards Blissey. "Alright, so Blissey's also here, but what about Brock, and Apprentichick?"

As if to answer him, it can be heard, "Apprentichick!" And then Apprentichick flies into view, followed close behind by Brock.

Brock shouts, "Hey guys!"

Ash and Brenda shout, "Brock!"

Brock makes it over to them. "Well, it would seem that you guys took care of the Onix and Steelix."

Ash denies, "No, it was all about the Pokémon. Your Blissey is as strong as ever."

Brock smiles. "Even stronger." He thinks for a couple of seconds. "So why do you think those Pokémon were freaking out like that?"

Ash and Brenda shrug.

* * *

Team Rocket is tiptoeing through the cave. Jessie whispers, "Prepare for Onix-sized trouble."

James whispers, "You might as well make that double."

"To protect ourselves from the dangers of a cave."

"To keep a low profile and make sure we're saved."

"To denounce the evils of rocks and snakes."

"To escape to safety, no matter what it takes."

"Jessie."

"James."

Meowth interrupts, "Will you guys be quiet? You don't want those Graveler, Golem, Onix, or Steelix to hear us."

Jessie and James nod. They both say, "Right."

James asks, "Say, have you two wondered why those Pokémon are attacking like there's no tomorrow?"

Jessie says, "Yeah, now that you mention it, it is a little strange."

Meowth grins and laughs awkwardly. "That might have been my fault." Jessie and James look at him. "You see, when I was digging our foolproof escape tunnel…I might have…kind of…sort of…disturbed an Onix nest."

Jessie demands, "So wait, it's your fault that those Onix chased those Graveler which chased us away from the twerps?" Meowth nods. Jessie grabs Meowth and starts to shake him. "Why you little…!"

James says, "Come on, let's settle down now. It's all in the past now."

Meowth struggles to say, "Yeah…what he said…"

Jessie sighs and puts him down. "What are we going to do now?"

James answers, "All we can do. We've got to get out of here."

A small Pokémon walks up behind them. It's a Turcell. It says curiously, "Tur? Cell?"

Jessie asks, "What's that?"

James pulls out a stack of cards and looks through them. He pulls out one with a matching picture. He exclaims, "It's a Turcell! They're very rare Pokémon given out to new trainers here in the Tenno Region!"

Jessie says, "You had me at rare!"

Turcell sits down and stares at Team Rocket with intense curiosity. "Turcell?"

Jessie slowly approaches it. She says in a calm voice, "Come here you little Turcell. Come to Aunty Jessie. I promise I won't hurt you."

Turcell sneezes. "Tur…cell!" When it does, a glob of molten lava is shot out of its mouth and lands at the feet of Team Rocket.

They look down at it. Slowly the molten material begins to melt through the floor. It makes it all the way through and reveals that there is another room below them. Jessie decides to make a leap for Turcell, but the sudden motion causes the weakened floor to crack beneath them and shatter. Team Rocket falls into the room below them.

Turcell stands back up and looks down into the hole. "Cell?" It then walks away.

Jessie shouts, "Where are you going!? You come back here! It's your fault we're down here, and you're going to fix it!"

Meowth says, "Sorry to burst your bubble Jess, but how is it supposed to do that?"

"I don't know!"

Then, a rumbling can be heard. Jessie's face goes pail. "Are you guys hearing what I'm hearing?" They both nod slowly.

The stampede of Graveler and Golem come rolling into the room above them. Several of them roll right down the hole. Team Rocket is now surrounded with nowhere to go by a horde of angry Graveler and Golem. They all collectively gulp.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are back to trying to get through the cave. All of the Pokémon, except for Pikachu, are back in their Pokéballs. Brock says, "We can't be too far from the exit. At this point we've searched every branching tunnel, they all lead to dead ends. This has to be the main tunnel."

Brenda states, "I hope so…"

After walking for a little while longer, they make it into yet another chamber. In front of them is a young man. He has semi-pale skin and black hair that goes down to chin level. He wears dark grey military-like pants and a black shirt with a blue coat over it. In front of him is a Dratini and it appears to be fighting another draganoid Pokémon. It appears lizard-like in shape and is several feet from tail tip to head. Its body is positioned low, close to the ground, and it has a long tail. It's skin seems to be colored pitch black with the exception many glowing, white spots, giving its skin the appearance of the night sky. Several of the white spots are larger and brighter. These ones are spread out across the body at various points such as the ends of limbs or joints. If you connected them, they would form a stick figure version of the Pokémon.

The unknown trainer commands, "Dratini, Dragon Rage!"

Dratini leaps into the air and fires a ball of orange energy. The opposing Pokémon leaps out of the way of the attack.

Ash and Brenda each take out their Pokédexes. Ash points his at the lizard Pokémon. It says, "Galacerta, the Lizard Constellation Pokémon and a Dragon-Type. Galacerta spend the entire day living inside of caves. Only during the night do they go into the open in order to find food. Galacerta use the starry pattern on their skin to communicate with others. It is believed that Galacerta inspired the constellation Lacerta. Galacerta evolves into Serpenstar at level 30."

Brenda's Pokédex says, "Dratini, the Dragon Pokémon and a Dragon-Type. Dratini are one of the rarest species of Pokémon. They hide deep under water and are rarely seen on land. Dratini evolves into Dragonair at level 30."

Galacerta jumps and lets loose a stream of rainbow energy from its mouth, a Dragon Breath attack. The trainer commands, "Dratini, dodge it now!" Dratini squirms its way around the attack. "Now counter with another Dragon Rage!"

"Dratini!" The dragon Pokémon attacks once more with its ball of energy. This one hits. The Galacerta is knocked out.

The trainer enlarges a Pokéball and throws it. "Go, Pokéball!" The thrown Pokéball hits the fainted Pokémon and pulls it in. the ball wiggles several times and then clicks. The trainer picks up the Pokéball and says to himself, "Galacerta acquired." His Dratini slithers up to him and then leaps onto his shoulders, draping itself around his neck. He turns around and notices Ash and friends for the first time.

Ash exclaims, "That's an awesome Pokémon you just caught there! And you've got a Dratini as well!" The trainer grunts. Ash continues, "Hey, how about we have a battle?"

The trainer contemplates, "That depends. Do you have any Dragon-Type Pokémon?"

Ash shakes his head. "Not with me right now."

"Then you're not worth my time." He turns around and starts to walk away.

Brock steps forward, "Wait, do you know the way out of these caves? We're kind of lost."

The trainer scoffs, "Only a fool goes into caves that they are unfamiliar with without a Pokémon the knows Dig." He throws a Pokéball into the air and a Gible comes out. "Gible, use Dig."

"Gible!" The Gible starts to dig a tunnel down into the ground. After a few moments, the trainer jumps down the hole.

Brocks runs over to the hole, just in time to see it collapse in on itself. Brenda steps forward, "Well…he was a whole lot of help."

Ash also walks forward. He appears very annoyed. He grumbles, "Who does that guy think he his? What does he mean that I'm not worth his time?"

Brenda says, "Let it go Ash. He was obviously a big jerk."

Brock nods. "Yeah, _he_ wouldn't be worth _your_ time."

Ash shrugs. "Yeah, I guess."

Brock beckons ahead. "Come on. We've got to get moving if we want to get out of here." The group moves on.

* * *

After a while longer they finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. Brenda shouts, "There it is! The exit!"

They all run the rest of the way. Once they make it outside, they all rejoice. Judging by the light, it is currently sunset. Ash exclaims, "I don't think that I've ever been so happy to be outside!"

Brock smiles. "Yes, it's pretty nice. And looks like we've made it out just in time for dinner. Come on, let's find a place to set up camp." The group begins to walk away.

_ And so, after a long and grueling journey, our heroes have made it through the Crater Gate. One thing's for sure, they won't be becoming spelunkers any time soon!_

Suddenly Ash stops. He asks, "Hey guys, what about our guides? Do you think they made it out?"

Brenda says, "I wouldn't worry about them, they're professional."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

* * *

Team Rocket is huddled up in the center of the chamber they fell into. They are frozen with terror. Surrounding them are many angry Graveler and Golem. James says with fear, "What ever you do, don't move a muscle."

Jessie, equally as afraid, stammers, "I'm not in any hustle."

Meowth adds, "I just don't want to get into a tussle."'

The Rock Pokémon appear to be readying for an attack. All three shout at once, "Why us!?"

_ Stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	6. Episode 6: Picking a Meteorfight

Episode 6: Picking a Meteorfight

_ Tonight our heroes seem to have settled down and stayed up late to watch an amazing spectacle of nature. Let's join them…_

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are laying out on the grass on the top of a hill. They have a camp set up around them. They are next to a campfire that seems to have just been extinguished. The three have their eyes fixed on the night sky. The view changes to show the sky. It is a starry night. A shooting star flashes across the sky. Ash points up and exclaims, "Look! There's one!" Another one appears, then a third, followed by a fourth.

Brock says, "Wow, I've never seen such an active meteor shower before." Several more pass by.

Brenda smiles. "Didn't I tell you? Tenno has the best meteor showers in the world."

They continue to watch for a few moments. Shooting stars continue to fall. After a few more moments, a brilliantly bright one appears in the sky. Ash says excitedly, "Wow, that one's amazing!"

Pikachu, who was curled up sleeping nearby wakes up and pokes it nose into the sky, alert to something. "Pik?"

The shooting star stays in the sky longer than expected. It starts to grow larger. Brock states with some surprise, "Um…guys? Something's not right here."

It continues to grow even larger and brighter. It changes from a streak of light to a fiery orb, and it's heading right at them. They all gasp in surprise, get up, and run away. At this point the shooting star has become a meteor hurtling towards their campsite. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Pikachu have made it a safe distance away. The meteor impacts right in the center of their camp and causes the ground to shake.

Ash cautiously approaches the wrecked campsite. Pikachu follows behind him. He looks into the camp, which now has a large crater. Ash walks up to the crater and peers down into it. In the center of it is a smoking meteorite a couple of feet in diameter. Ash looks over to the others and calls, "It's alright, come check this out!"

Brock and Brenda slowly approach. Brock gives an impressed whistle. "What are the odds that a meteor would fall right on top of our campsite?"

Brenda adds, "Yeah, what would have happened if we weren't watching the meteor shower?"

Ash jumps over the ridge of the crater and shouts, "Come on guys, let's get a closer look." He slides down the slope of the crater and approaches the meteorite.

Brock calls, "Ash, be careful!"

Ash looks back up. "Don't worry about me! It's just a rock after all." He gets even closer. He starts reach out to touch it when it starts to shake violently. Ash leaps back in surprise. Two eyes open up on the surface of the meteorite. Then a crack widens, looking more like a mouth now.

Brenda shouts in surprise, "What's that?!"

It continues to shake. To arms jet out of the top on either side, followed by two legs out of the bottom. Ash, who has run back to the top of the crater, shouts, "It's a Pokémon!" The Pokémon has retained it's primarily round shape. It has no torso, its face being its entire body. Its arms are positioned so that its shoulders are on top of its head.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Meteorfight, the Space Warrior Pokémon and a Rock and Fighting combo type. Meteorfight are born in outer space and primarily live in the Asteroid Belt. They are masters of fighting in zero-gravity situations. Only occasionally will a Meteorfight land on Earth, making it a rare Pokémon to find. Evolves into Meteormight at level 34."

The Meteorfight is looking around with some confusion. With a sudden rage it roars, "Meteorfight!" It then leaps out of the crater an lands near Ash, Brock, and Brenda. It starts to stomp its feet and roar more.

Brock exclaims, "Something's wrong! That Pokémon's in pain!"

The Meteorfight charges at one of the tents and smashes it with its fist. With what seems like extreme anger it continues to destroy the tent, ripping it to shreds and smashing it to pieces.

Brenda, who sounds frightened, suggests, "Guys, I think we should get out of here." The group slowly backs away and hides behind a nearby bush.

For a while they watch as the Meteorfight smashes and destroys everything in their camp that wasn't already destroyed by the impact. After a little while, once everything has been destroyed, the raging Pokémon runs off in the opposite direction, knocking down trees and smashing bushes as it goes.

Brock and Brenda step out from behind the bush. Brock shakes his head. "Something was very wrong with that Pokémon. Maybe we should go after it."

Brenda notices that Ash isn't with them. She looks back behind the bush to see that Ash and Pikachu have fallen asleep. She yawns. "I don't know Brock, maybe Ash has the right idea. It's getting pretty late. I think we should just get some sleep while we have the chance, then we can go after it in the morning." She yawns again and lies down on the grass.

Brock shakes his head again. "I don't like this."

* * *

The next morning, Ash and Pikachu wake up at the same time. Ash looks around and sees Brock sitting, looking out in the distance, towards the direction that the Meteorfight ran. Ash gets up and walks over to Brock, Pikachu follows. Ash asks, "Did you sleep well Brock?"

Brock faces Ash and sighs. "No, I'm afraid not. I couldn't help but think about that Pokémon last night. I'd imagine that crashing to Earth has got to be a pretty traumatic experience."

Ash sits down next to Brock and looks at the trail of destruction left by Meteorfight. "What do you think we should do?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's in pain. If that's the case, I could help it."

Brenda has apparently woken up and joins them. "I'm sure you could."

Ash stands up. "Then that settles it. Let's go after it!"

Brock stands up too. "Alright!"

A voice from the distance calls out, "Hey you, over there!" Off in the distance a figure approaches. As he nears, his details can be better made out. He wears rugged, rough hewn, brown and tan clothes. He has a belt filled with various tools. His face is also rugged and with scraggy, brown hair. He looks like someone who spends most of his time outside. He then calls, "I have a question to ask you!"

He makes it close to them. Brock says, "What is it sir?"

The man says, "I've been told by a reliable source that a meteor crashed here sometime last night. You wouldn't happen to know where it landed, would you?"

Brock points towards their wrecked campsite.

The man's eyes widen. "My, my. You three seemed to have gotten pretty lucky…or unlucky, depending on how you look at it." He walks up the hill towards the crater.

Brock catches up with him and asks, "If you don't mind me asking sir, why are you looking for where the meteor landed?"

The man stops in his tracks. "Silly me. I forgot to introduce my self. The name's Crate. I'm a world renowned meteorite hunter."

Ash and Brenda catch up. Ash asks, "Meteorite hunter?"

Crate smiles. "I travel around the region, hunting for fallen meteorites. I sell some, but for the most part, I collect them. I just love the idea of actually having something in my possession that came from outer space. It's the closest that most people will ever get." He turns towards the crater and starts to head off. "Now, let's see that meteorite."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda look at each other for a moment, and then look back at Crate. They run after him. Ash calls, "Um, about that!"

Crate makes it to the ridge of the crater. He then looks back at them and asks, "Did you three already remove the meteorite?"

Brock shakes his head. "No, it sort of…removed itself."

Crate looks confused. "What do you mean?"

Ash exclaims, "The meteorite was actually a Meteorfight!"

Crate's eyes go wide. "That's no good…"

Brenda asks, "What is it?"

"Tell me, did it go crazy and destroy everything in sight?"

Brock nods and points towards its trail of destruction.

"Oh my. This is not good." He starts to run off in that direction. "It must be stopped.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda run after him. Brock asks, "What's the matter?"

Crate explains while still running, "Meteorfight come from outer space. They live their entire lives in a zero gravity environment. When the time comes that one falls to Earth, they first go through the traumatic experience itself of falling and crashing, then they are disoriented because they have never felt strong gravity. Meteorfight have been known to rage and destroy everything in sight for days after landing. I must stop it."

Ash gives him a thumbs-up. "We'll help you however we can."

Crate nods. "Good, I could use it." They run off.

Hiding behind a fallen tree is none other than Team Rocket. James asks, "Do my ears deceive me, or are the twerps looking for an alien Pokémon?"

Jessie grins. "Not only an alien Pokémon, but a power-packed alien Pokémon. Look at what it did here. If we could get our hands on it, we'd be unstoppable."

Meowth shouts, "No, absolutely not!"

James asks, "And might I ask why?"

Meowth closes his eyes and thinks. "Listen here. The Boss is a collector of rare and valuable things, right?" Jessie and James nod. "Well think about it this way. That Meteorfight is part-Pokémon, part-meteor, and meteors are rare rocks. Surely The Boss must have a rare collection of rocks on display." Meowth imagines Giovanni strolling along a hallway full of display cases with various gemstones and rocks of different shapes and sizes. "Now of course The Boss, being the busy man he is, can't watch over his precious collection all day and night, but someone needs to. That's were the Meteorfight comes in. It sits in the biggest pedestal of them all, doing nothing but looking like a rock from space. Then, when night comes, and a thieving thief sneaks his way in," the situation Meowth describes plays out, "that's when good old Meteorfight reveals his true colors and smashes that thieving thief. Then The Boss will come in and ask, 'What's all the commotion?' and upon seeing that Meteorfight has protected his precious collection, he'll say, 'Why this Meteorfight given to me by Meowth and friends is the only rock I need. I know! I'll give the rest of them to Meowth and friends so that they can sell them and get rich!" Meowth's fantasy ends.

Jessie exclaims, "Everyone knows that precious rocks are a girl's best friend!"

James adds, "And if they make you rich, then they'll be this guy's best friend as well!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This is a new species of Pokémon that is said to have fallen from space. It floats in the air and moves silently. In battle, this Pokémon releases intensely bright light.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Crate are crouched behind several rocks. Not far from them is the Meteorfight. It is still outraged, and attacking anything it sees. Crate says, "Alright, we're not that far from a town, so we've got to calm it down before it can get there and cause any real damage."

Everyone at once says, "Got it."

Brock asks, "What's the plan?"

"You guys may not like this, but I need to get close to it. That means I need a distraction."

Ash stands up. "Don't worry, we can do that, right Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods. "Chu."

Brock and Brenda stand up as well. Brenda says, "We're in too."

Crate nods. "Thank you guys. If you could just keep its attention off of me for just long enough, then I should be able to get close enough to calm it down. And keep your eyes out for it's Meteor Slam attack. It's a very powerful move that inflicts both Fighting and Rock-Type damage. It will curl up into a ball and send itself flying at you. It can be hard to avoid."

Ash says, "Let's do this." He leaps over the rock formation, waves his arms around, and calls, "Hey, Meteorfight, over here!"

The Meteorfight turns towards Ash and then roars, "Meteorfight!" It then leaps up into the air, retracts in it arms and legs, causing it float in the air, looking like a round rock with a face. It flies at high speeds towards Ash, who leaps out of the way just in time.

It prepares to attack him again, but that's when Brenda leaps out nearby and calls, "You can't catch me!" Meteorfight changes its attention to her, charging in her direction. She also manages to leap out of the way.

Now it's Brock's turn. He moves out from behind a tree and shouts, "Meteorfight!"

The Pokémon now turns to Brock and charges at him. Brock tries to get out of the way, but is too slow. Meteorfight hit's the bottom of his chin with an uppercut, which sends him flying into the air, landing a few meters away. He raises his hand into the air and says weakly, "I'm okay!"

Meteorfight is still looking in Brock's direction. That's when Crate leaps at it. Meteorfight looks up in surprise. Crate wraps his arms around it and says, "Meteorfight, calm yourself." He starts to rub the point where Meteorfight's left arm connects to its head, Meteorfight instantly calms slightly. "I would personally like to welcome you to our-"

He is suddenly interrupted by James commanding, "Haking, Sludge Bomb!" Several sludge balls are sent at Crate and Meteorfight, hitting them, and knocking them apart. Meteorfight begins to stomp its feet with renewed anger.

Crate demands, "What was that!?"

Team Rocket's balloon lowers from the sky. Jessie answers, "Prepare for trouble, it is us!"

James adds, "Make it double, I don't see what's the fuss!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within-!"

James is cut off by Meteorfight, who has now rolled back up, and sent itself flying at Team Rocket. This sends Team Rocket flying away. They all shout, "Team Rocket's blasting off already!"

Crate asks, "Who were they?"

Brock shouts, "No time, look over there!" He points towards Meteorfight, who's running towards the town. They all run off, after it.

* * *

**It's Solrock!**

* * *

Ash and the group are now near the outskirts of the town. They are between the town and Meteorfight. Crate says, "Alright, I hate to resort to this, but we're running out of time. We're going to need to use your Pokémon to stop it. Ash, Brenda, you two go in first, Brock, you hang back with me, in case I need your help." The three nod. "Alright, good luck."

Ash and Brenda move forward. Pikachu leaps off of Ash's shoulders and Brenda throws a Pokéball, releasing Kappaqua. Meteorfight instantly notices and charges at them. Ash shouts, "Iron Tail Pikachu!"

Pikachu readies its attack. "Chu pika!" It slashes its tail at Meteorfight, who in turn, punches with a glowing silver fist.

Brock exclaims, "That Meteorfight knows Meteor Mash! Be careful guys!"

Brenda shouts back, "Don't worry! Kappaqua, Water Gun!" Kappaqua sends a torrent of water towards Meteorfight, hitting it. However, it is quickly shaken off.

Ash shouts, "Thunderbolt now Pikachu!"

"Pikaaachuuuuuu!" Pikachu zaps Meteorfight, but does minimal damage. Pikachu keeps up the attack.

Brenda shouts, "Help out Pikachu, use another Water Gun!"

"Kappa pa pa pa!" Kappaqua starts another stream of water.

Meteorfight shouts, "Meteor!" and gets out of the way of the attacks. It then charges at Pikachu and Kappaqua, delivering several rapid fire punches to both of them, before sending them flying.

Crate states, "It knows Comet Punch too. That's a powerful Meteorfight alright."

Just then, a capsule comes down from the sky and is sent at Meteorfight in an attempt to capture it. Brock shouts, "Meteorfight, no!" and leaps towards it, getting scooped up as well.

Team Rocket's balloon descends from the sky once more. Jessie shouts, "Prepare for trouble, let's try this once more!

James continues, "Make it double, our motto is never a bore!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a meteorite fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash shouts, "Team Rocket, you'd better give back Brock and Meteorfight!"

James questions, "Brock?" He peers over the edge of the balloon basket and sees Brock knocking on the wall of the clear capsule he and Meteorfight were caught in. He looks back up and says, "A little mistake. It would appear that in addition to our normal quarry, we also caught the tall twerp."

Jessie says, "Don't worry about him. We'll figure out what to do later. It's time to make our escape."

James nods. "Right." He pulls out a Pokéball. "Go, Haking! Use Smokescreen!"

Haking comes out of his Pokéball. "Haking!" Black smoke pours out of its mouths and holes, blocking Team Rocket from sight.

Ash can be heard saying, "Go, Apprentichick, clear out this smoke with your Gust!" The smoke starts to clear, thanks to Apprentichick's attack. Team Rocket is gone. "Thanks Apprentichick. Now I need you to go and look for Team Rocket's balloon. Can you do that?"

It affirms, "Apprenti!" and flies off.

Crate looks a little confused. Ash says, "Come on, let's follow Apprentichick, I'll catch you up on the way!"

Ash, Brenda, and Crate run off in the direction that Apprentichick flew.

* * *

Team Rocket has landed their balloon in a clearing in the forest. The capsule that caught Brock and Meteorfight is placed down next to the balloon. Meteorfight is rapidly punching the walls of the capsule, attempting to break out. Brock is sitting down. Jessie is peering into the capsule at Brock. She mocks, "That's what you get for trying to interfere with Team Rocket." She turns around and walks away. She then asks, "Since when was the tall twerp even back to traveling with the twerp?"

Meowth and James shrug. Meowth takes a turn to walk up to the capsule, but he focuses his attention on Meteorfight. He says, "Sorry pal, but that capsule was designed to withhold the force of a meteor's impact. There's no way you're breaking out."

It roars with rage, "Meteorfight!"

James asks, "What's it saying?"

Meowth answers, "I'm not sure, it's mostly a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Something about being in pain."

Jessie shrugs. "Who cares? All that matters is that we've caught our way to fortune. I'd say we celebrate with some food."

James exclaims, "Great idea! I just happen to have been saving these for a rainy day." He pulls out a bag of something.

Meowth and Jessie both exclaim, "Oh boy, chocolate!" They both rush over to grab some, and in the commotion, the bag is dropped.

Before anyone can grab it, a Munchlax runs in, grabs the bag, and runs away. Team Rocket notices and Meowth shouts, "Catch that Munchlax!" Team Rocket runs into the woods after it.

Brock gets up and says, "Alright, now's the chance to escape." He looks at Meteorfight, who's still using Comet Punch on the walls. He takes a deep breath. "Alright, here goes nothing." He leaps at Meteorfight when its facing away from him and begins to stroke the same spot that Crate was earlier. "Meteorfight, calm yourself." Meteorfight slows its attacks, and doesn't try to throw Brock off. "It would be my honor to welcome you to our world. I know that this must be a painful experience for you, but you must be calm. You will adapt to living on this world, under its gravity. I know you will. Please, be calm." Meteorfight completely ceases its punches. "That's it. It's okay. Be calm." Meteorfight suddenly plops down on the ground. Brock slowly removes his hand. "Are you okay now?"

The Meteorfight looks at him and nods. "Meteor."

"Brock nods back. "Alright, that's good. I'm glad you've calmed down." He observes the capsule and then pulls out a Pokéball. "Go, Blissey!" Blissey emerges. "Blissey, could you use your Strength attack on the wall?"

Blissey nods. "Bliss." It charges energy and a white aura surrounds it. It begins to rapidly punch at the wall, but does absolutely nothing.

"Brock nods slowly. "Alright, try your Mega Punch." He turns to Meteorfight. "And why don't you add your Meteor Mash?" Both Pokémon nod and begin to punch the walls with massive amounts of power. Still nothing. Brock thinks a little longer. His face lights up with an idea. "I've got it! We need to combine your two's power. Meteorfight, you prepare to use a Meteor Slam, then, before you use it, Blissey will throw you at the wall with her Strength. Can you two do that?"

Both Pokémon nod. Meteorfight retracts its limbs and hovers in front of Blissey who takes a hold of it. Blissey then begins to glow white again. "Blissey!" With all of its strength, Blissey hurls the other Pokémon at the wall. Meteorfight flies at high speeds and impacts, then crashes through the wall.

Brock cheers, "Yeah, great job!" He and Blissey jump out through the hole. "Come on, we've got to get out of here before Team Rocket gets back."

Jessie asks, "Before who gets back?"

Brock turns around to see Team Rocket standing on the edge of the clearing. James states, "How dare you break out of our escape-proof capture capsule?"

Meowth adds, "Now we'll have to punish you!"

Jessie and James throw Pokéballs, letting out Repiv and Haking. Jessie commands, "Poison Fang!" while James commands, "Sludge Bomb!"

Brock leaps out of he way of the Sludge Bomb, he then shouts, "Blissey, knock back Repiv with Mega Punch!" Blissey punches Repiv away.

Meteorfight, meanwhile, has been moving away, and has now almost left the clearing.

Jessie shouts, "Hold the twerpish Pokémon down with Wrap!" Repiv wraps itself around Blissey.

James commands, "Now Haking, rapid fire Sludge Bomb at the twerp!"

Brock dodges out of the way of several of the attacks, but one eventually hits him. He's knocked back. He shouts, "Blissey, can you break free!?" Blissey struggles to get out, but its no use. Haking moves in closer to Brock, ready to attack again. Brock shouts, "No!"

Meteorfight hears Brock's cry and turns towards him.

Haking prepares for another Sludge Bomb. Just as it's about to fire, it is hit by Meteorfight's Meteor Slam. It is sent flying towards Team Rocket. Brock exclaims, "Meteorfight, you came back!"

"Meteor!"

Just then, Apprentichick flies in overhead and Ash, Brenda, and Crate run into the clearing after it. Ash shouts, "Brock, are you okay!?"

"I'm fine Ash!"

Ash looks at Pikachu and says, "Come on buddy, let's get ready for a fight."

Brock holds up an arm. "No, Meteorfight and I got this one! Right?"

Meteorfight nods, "Meteorfight!"

"Meteorfight, use Comet Punch on Repiv and free Blissey!" Meteorfight runs at Repiv and hits it with several rapid fire punches, causing it to loosen its grip on Blissey. "Now finish it off with a Meteor Mash!" With a glowing, silver fist, Meteorfight punches Repiv, sending it crashing into Team Rocket. "Now, hit them all with a Meteor Slam!" Meteorfight curls itself up and hurls itself at Team Rocket, hitting the ground right next to their feet, which causes a shock wave that sends them flying into the air.

Team Rocket shouts, "We're blasting off for the second time!"

Ash, Brenda, and Crate approach Brock, Meteorfight, and Blissey. Crate says with amazement, "Wow, did you really manage to calm down this Meteorfight by yourself?"

Brock nods. "I remembered what you were doing before, and I did it myself."

Brenda exclaims, "That's amazing!"

Ash comments, "Yeah, and you seem to have a great bond with it already."

"We do, don't we Meteorfight?"

It nods. "Meteor."

Brock kneels down and looks Meteorfight in the eyes. "Hey Meteorfight, would you like to come with me? I know that you're still not used to this planet, but I'm sure that I could help you."

Meteorfight thinks about it for a couple moments and smiles. "Meteor."

Brock pulls out a Pokéball and taps it against its head, pulling it into the Pokéball. It wiggles several times and then clicks. Brock holds the Pokéball into the air and exclaims, "I just caught a Meteorfight!"

Blissey joins in, "Blissey!"

Crate claps. "You've got yourself a powerful Pokémon there. After what you've done, I have no doubt that you can handle it."

Brock nods. "Thank you." He throws the Pokéball up into the air.

Meteorfight emerges next to Brock, and out of nowhere, it delivers an uppercut to the bottom of Brock's chin, sending him flying back several feet. It smiles and says happily, "Meteorfight!"

Brock weakly says, "I'm…okay…"

Everyone laughs. Ash says, "I guess that's how Meteorfight show affection." They continue to laugh together.

_ Now that Brock has a new partner and friend along with him on his journey, things are bound to be more interesting. Join us next time, as the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	7. Episode 7:Light at the End of the Forest

Episode 7: The Light at the End of the Forest

_ Continuing their journey to Horizoport City, our heroes now find themselves at the entrance to a vast forest._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are standing at the boundary of a forest. Where they stand, the tree density is fairly low, but just a few steps more and it gets a lot denser. Brock, reading from his guidebook, says, "This place is called the Sol Forest. According to this, it's known as the Forest of the Midnight Sun."

Ash is confused. "That's a weird name. how could there be sun during midnight?"

Brock shrugs. "I don't know. It doesn't say here."

A female voice says, "That's an easy one."

The group turns around to see a girl walking towards them. She has long, green hair and wears simple brown dress. Brock's eyes go wide. He runs over to her and proclaims, "You may think that's an easy question, but I have one that should be so much easier! Are you the most beautiful thing I've ever seen my life? The answer is a resounding yes! Please, come with me and together we will find the answers to life's questions!"

Just as Brock's saying this, his Meteorfight lets itself out of its Pokéball and delivers an uppercut to Brock's chin, sending him flying away. It nods its head and says, "Meteorfight." Then it walks towards the knocked out Brock, taps its Pokéball on his belt, and returns to it.

The girl says, "Oh my."

Brenda laughs. "I guess that Meteorfight and Brock were meant to be together." She turns to the girl. "I wouldn't worry too much about that. It happens sometimes."

She nods. "Right."

Ash asks, "So you know why they call this place the Forest of the Midnight Sun?"

"Yes, of course. Sorry. They call it that because during the night, when the forest would normally be completely dark, due to the thick tree canopy, it's as bright as day because of all of the Light-Type Pokémon."

Ash is confused again. "Light-Type Pokémon?"

Brock springs up off the ground and says as if nothing had happened, "The Light-Type is a relatively new classification of Pokémon found here in the Tenno Region. They are characterized by the manipulation and creation of light."

Ash asks, "So it's a new type of Pokémon?"

Brock nods. "Actually, you've encountered Light-Type Pokémon before."

"Really?"

"Yes, Pokémon like Heliolisk, Starmie, Illumise, or Volbeat have recently been reclassified as Light-Types."

Ash nods. He looks at Pikachu. "You hear that, Pikachu? There's a whole new type of Pokémon for us to catch here in Tenno."

Pikachu nods. "Pika."

Brenda looks back at the girl, "So there are a lot of Light-Types in this forest?"

She nods. "Yes, it can be a wonderful sight. In fact, my family actually runs a rest stop nearby, and it's open to trainers who want to wait there until night so they can see the sight."

Ash smiles. "I think that would be great!"

Brock and Brenda nod as well. The girl says, "By the way, my name's Jillian."

Ash introduces himself, "I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu."

"My name's Brock."

"And I'm Brenda."

Jillian bows. "A pleasure to meet you. Please, why don't you come with me?"

They all say at once, "Okay!"

* * *

It's night. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are standing outside of a small cabin. Jillian is standing with them. Jillian asks, "It's pretty dark out, would you like me to guide you to the forest entrance?"

Brock nods, "That would be great. Thank you very much."

Jillian pulls a Pokéball out and tosses it. Out comes a butterfly-like Pokémon. It has wings of white, with a yellow-gold pattern that glows brilliantly. It's compound eyes also glow, and the bottom portion of its abdomen glows in a way similar to a firefly. It lights up the area around it and sparkles. Ash exclaims, "Whoa, so that must be a Light-Type!"

He pulls out his Pokédex. "Glitterfly, the Bioluminescent Pokémon, and a Bug and Light combo-type. Glitterfly are often proclaimed to be one of the most beautiful sights of the Pokémon world. The light produced by their wings can be used to communicate with others across vast distances. Evolves from Chrysalux at level 10."

Brenda is an awe. "That's such a beautiful Pokémon you have."

"Thank you, we met in the Sol Forest many years ago." She turns to her Pokémon. "Would you mind using Flash to give us some light to see by?"

It says in a humming-like voice, "Glitterererfly!" The light its producing gets several times brighter, lighting up the immediate area around them.

Jillian starts to walk forward with Glitterfly following. "Come on, let's go!"

The group walks off.

Unbeknownst to them, hiding in the shadows nearby is Team Rocket. Jessie is staring in awe at the Glitterfly. James snaps his fingers in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Jessie, Earth to Jessie, are you there?"

She knocks his hand away and says in a dreamy voice, "That was the most beautiful Pokémon I've ever seen."

Meowth asks, "Yeah, so what?"

She says with anger, "So what!? A beautiful Pokémon deserves a beautiful trainer!"

James looks around, "Okay, I don't see any nearby…"

She slaps him, knocking him back. "I'm talking about me you idiot, I'm the most beautiful trainer in the land. A Pokémon like that was meant for me. We need to catch it!"

Meowth and James nod. Meowth says, "I think we could handle that."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon's tail's tip shines brightly and can be seen from far away. It acts as a beacon for lost people. In the Tenno Region, this Pokémon becomes a Light-Type.**

* * *

The group now finds themselves back at the entrance to the forest. Even though it is nighttime, there's a bright light emanating from the forest. The group takes a couple of moments to observe the sight. After a little bit Jillian says, "I'd be more than willing to show you guys the way through if you'd like."

Ash says, "That'd be great. I've gotten lost in quite a few forests."

Brenda laughs, "Is that so? Even with Brock with you?"

Brock states defensively, "Hey, even the best of navigators get lost sometimes."

Jillian laughs. "Come on, let's go."

They walk into the forest. Just as its name might infer, it seems bright enough to be daytime, despite the dark outside. The leaves of trees themselves almost seem to glow.

A Volbeat and Illumise fly out of some bushes and begin to dance around each other in front of the group. Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Volbeat, the Firefly Pokémon, and a Bug and Light Combo-Type. Volbeat flash their tails in an attempt to attract Illumise. The brighter they flash, the more likely an Illumise will join them. Does not evolve."

"Illumise, the Firefly Pokémon, and a Bug and Light combo-type. Illumise aren't as efficient at creating light as their partners, Volbeat, so they instead use their sweet scent to attract mates. Does not evolve."

The two continue to fly around each other, apparently in a courting dance. Ash pulls out a Pokéball. "Alright, those are Light-Types! Let's catch one of them Pikachu!"

Pikachu jumps off of his head. "Pika!"

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaa chuuuu!" Pikachu launches a bolt of electricity at the two Pokémon, but misses. They fly away.

Brenda complains, "Ash, why'd you have to scare them away!? That was a brilliant show!"

Ash scratches the back of his head. "Sorry, but I've got to get myself one of these Light-Type Pokémon."

"Well do it on your own time. I was enjoying those Pokémon."

"Sorry…"

* * *

**It's Ampharos!**

* * *

The group is still trekking their way through the Sol Forest. Everywhere they look is a spectacular show of lights. Jillian says, "Alright, it shouldn't be too much further now, right Glitterfly?"

"Glittererererfly!" Glitterfly nods.

Brock says, "I don't know if I've ever seen such a lively forest before. Just imagine, all these tree's leaves appear to be glowing because there are glowing Pokémon hidden in the branches."

Ash slowly states, "Is that so…" He sneaks off and starts to climb a nearby tree. After a couple of failed attempts, he finally manages to get a good hold, and starts to climb. He pokes his head into the leafy section of the tree.

Brenda notices that Ash isn't with them anymore. She calls out, "Ash, where are you!?"

Startled, Ash falls out of the tree. Several Volbeat and Illumise fly out of the tree, startled by Ash falling. He quickly gets up. "Sorry." He catches back up with them. He whispers to Pikachu, "Don't worry, we'll find a Light-Type to catch sooner or later."

Pikachu smiles and nods. "Pik."

Brock asks Jillian, "So you seem to be pretty knowledgeable about this forest."

She nods. "Yes, my family has lived in that cabin for several generations. We've taken it upon ourselves to watch over it. As a child I would always play here. It was actually back then that I caught Glitterfly. Of course back then she was only a Glowva. I got lost in the forest once, and Glowva helped me get back out. Next time I went in to the forest, she was waiting for me. We quickly became good friends. It wasn't long until she evolved into a Chrysalux, and then a Glitterfly. When I was old enough to have my own Pokémon, she let me catch her. We've been together ever since, right Glitterfly?"

"Glitterfly!"

Brenda says, "That's a great story, isn't it Ash?"

Ash isn't listening. He's poking his head in a bush. Several Patrat, a Watchog, and a Sunflora are running away. He looks up, "What?"

Brenda laughs. "Nothing."

Jillian holds up her hands to get everyone to stop. Brock asks, "What is it?"

She points a little further up on the path and says, "We almost stepped on that little one."

In the middle of the path a small, caterpillar-like Pokémon. It is composed of orb-like segments, and is colored primarily white with a gold pattern on it. The final segment of its tail glows white. It's slowly inching itself across the path. Ash exclaims, "Alright, that's got to be a Light-Type!"

He pulls out his Pokédex. "Glowva, the Glow Worm Pokémon, and a Bug and Light combo-type. Glowva eat large amounts of leaves in their preparation to evolve. This grants it large amounts of energy, the excess of which is given off as light. Evolves into Chrysalux at level 7."

Ash pulls out a Pokéball. "Alright, this is it. There's no way that this Pokémon's going to get away from me!" Brenda holds her arm in front of Ash, blocking him. Ash complains, "What is it this time?"

She confidently states, "Let me have this one."

Ash and Brock both gasp. Ash asks, "But why?"

"Because Glowva will eventually evolve into Glitterfly. A Pokémon that beautiful would be an honor for me to train. Besides, you and Brock have already had an opportunity to catch a Pokémon. Why don't you give me a chance?"

Ash puts away his Pokéball. "Alright Brenda, good luck."

She nods and pulls out a Pokéball. "Kappaqua, center stage!" Kappaqua emerges. "Kappaqua, attack the Glowva with Water Gun!"

"Kappa!" A stream of water is sent at the caterpillar Pokémon.

The Glowva, which seems to not have noticed them until now looks at the attack with wide eyes. It is hit by the attack and knocked back. After recovering, it looks towards Kappaqua and fires a String Shot at it from its mouth.

Brenda shouts, "Kappaqua, stop the strings with Confusion!"

Kappaqua starts to gather its power, but a flash of light from the Glowva distracts it. The Glowva then hurls itself at Kappaqua, tackling it. Kappaqua shakes off the effects of the Flash.

"Alright Kappaqua, Aqua Bomb!" The Pokémon launches an orb of water that explodes upon hitting Glowva, knocking it back. "Alright, go Pokéball!" She throws a Pokéball. It pulls in the Glowva. Wiggles once…twice…three times…it clicks. She picks it up. "Alright, Glowva is all mine!"

Kappaqua cheers, "Kappa pa pa!"

Ash says, "Good job Brenda!" He mutters under his breath, "Of course I wanted that Pokémon…"

Brenda asks, "What was that?"

"Oh, nothing…"

She throws up Glowva's Pokéball. "Come on out!"

Glowva emerges. It contently states, "Glow."

Glitterfly flies over to it and happily says, "Glitter!"

Glowva smiles. "Glowva."

A giant bug net suddenly swoops down from the sky and scoops up the two bug Pokémon. The group gasps and looks towards the source of the net. It's a giant robot, made to look like a bug catcher holding the net. Jillian gasps, "What's that!?"

Team Rocket appears on the robot's head. They are all wearing sunglasses. Jessie declares, "Prepare for flashing trouble!"

James adds, "Make that a shining double!"

"To protect the world from luminescent devastation!"

"To unite all people within our glowing nation!"

"To denounce the sparkling evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the twinkling stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket's lighting up the night!"

"Surrender now, our light might ruin your sight!"

"Meowth, that's bright!"

"Wobba!"

"Mime mime!" Wobbuffet and Mime Jr. are also wearing sunglasses.

Ash shouts, "Team Rocket!"

Jessie laughs, "Who else twerp?"

Jillian asks, "Who's Team Rocket?"

Brenda explains, "They're a group of no good Pokémon thieves who follow us around."

Meowth exclaims, "And these no good Pokémon thieves have captured two Light-Type Pokémon with one net!"

James explains, "Now we have one for Jessie's ego, and another for The Boss."

Jessie says, "Yeah, one for my ego- One for my ego!? What's that supposed to mean!?"

Meowth and James frantically say, "Oh nothing…"

Jillian demands, "Give me back Glitterfly now!"

Jessie scoffs, "I don't think you're in the position to make demands."

Ash steps forward and Pikachu leaps to the ground, ready to fight. Ash begins to shout, "Pikachu, use-!"

He's cut off by Brock, "No Ash, don't! You might hurt Glitterfly and Glowva!

Pikachu stops charging energy. Jessie sticks her tongue out. "Ha ha, you can't touch us!"

Meowth says, "Now for our retreat!" Team Rocket lowers back into their robot. The robot runs through some trees.

Ash shouts, "After them!"

The group runs into the trees following them. Jillian says, "If they keep heading this way, they're going to run into the Shimmering Lake!"

Sure enough, they make it through the tress to find themselves at the shore of a lake. The water itself glows. It appears that Team Rocket wasn't watching where they were running and ran right into the lake.

Inside the cockpit, Jessie complains, "Alright, which one of you morons just drove us into a lake!?"

James shouts, "It wasn't me!"

They both look towards Meowth, "Hey, don't look at me, I was trying to get us away from the twerps!"

Back outside several Pokémon are surfacing in the lake, including Staryu, Starmie, Finneon, and Lumineon. They all cry out. Then, within moments Pokémon start to pour out from all sides of the lake. Pokémon including Glitterfly, Volbeat, Illumise, Sunflora, Watchog, and Shinx gather. There are also some non-Light-Types, like Apprentichick and Chipmunch.

Brenda says, "Wow, look at all the Pokémon."

Jillian states in awe, "The forest is defending itself…"

Ash asks, "What do you mean?"

"Team Rocket has threatened the forest, and now the forest is prepared to fight back."

In Team Rocket's cockpit, James asks, "What's up with the shining congregation of Pokémon?"

Jessie says, "Who cares, let's just snag them all for The Boss!"

Meowth starts to press buttons. "Operation Shining Capture is on!"

Back outside, the Team Rocket mech manages to straighten itself up in the water. It swings its net towards a group of Pokémon on the shore. All of the Pokémon focus various light-based attacks on the robot's arm, breaking it off. Glitterfly and Glowva make their way out. Team Rocket can be heard giving a collective, "Uh oh…" All of the Pokémon attack again, this time focusing on the mech itself. It explodes, and sends Team Rocket flying.

As they're flying up into the night sky, Jessie says in an overly dramatic voice, "Oh cruel fate! To have seen true beauty and to have it ripped away! I do not know if I can go on like this!"

Meowth says annoyed, "Oh put a sock in it."

Jessie cringes and turns away. "Betrayed, even by my friends."

James says, "Come on Jessie, we'll find you even more beautiful Pokémon."

She looks up. "Really?"

"Really."

Meowth jumps in, "But first…"

They all shout, "We're blasting off again!"

"Wobbuffet!"

* * *

Back on the ground, Jillian and Brenda are running towards their Pokémon. Jillian hugs Glitterfly and asks it, "Are you okay?"

"Glitter!"

Brenda asks, "And how about you Glowva?"

Glowva looks up to the sky and shouts, "Glow!" It begins to glow a pure white. Brenda's eyes go wide.

Ash and Brock catch up. Brock exclaims, "Glowva is evolving!"

It begins to change shape. It becomes bigger and bulkier. The light ceases. Where Glowva once stood, is now a crescent-shaped cocoon-like Pokémon. It looks strong and durable and is colored silver. Its entire body gives off a slight glow, while its bottom tip brightly glows gold.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex again. "Chrysalux, the Glow Cocoon Pokémon, and a Bug and Light combo-type. Underneath the shell of Chrysalux, what once was Glowva is undergoing a drastic change. This change produces energy, which leaks out in the form of light. Evolves from Glowva at level 7 and into Glitterfly at level 10."

Jillian says, "Your Glowva evolved into Chrysalux! That's great!"

Brenda exclaims, "So that's evolution! That's so great! Congratulations Chrysalux!" Chrysalux stands completely still.

Jillian smiles. "I guess that it's time to get moving again. Come on, let's go."

* * *

A little later, the group has made it to the exit of the forest. Judging by the sky, its just becoming morning. Brock observes, "It looks like we're out."

Jillian nods. "Yes, this is the end of the forest." She looks back behind her. "I guess I'd better start heading back."

Brock turns to her. "Thank you for your help. I doubt we would have made it out so easily without your help."

"It was my pleasure. Goodbye." She walks off into the forest. Everyone waves goodbye. Once she is gone, the group turns around and continues on their way.

_ After an exciting journey through the Sol Forest, Brenda has found herself with a new Pokémon, and all three of our heroes a new friend in Jillian._

Ash suddenly halts in place. "Shoot!"

Brenda asks, "What is it Ash?"

"I never ended up catching a Light-Type Pokémon!" Brock and Brenda laugh. "Guys, I'm serious!" They keep on laughing. "Guys!"

_ Stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**

**If you want to learn more about the Light-Type visit the Cosmic Quest Official Website. It has a page full of everything you need to know about this new type, a type chart, a list of old moves that become Light-Types, a list of old Pokémon that become a Light-Type, and more. A link is provided on my profile page.**


	8. Episode 8: First Time's the Charm

Episode 8: First Time's the Charm

_ Having made it out of the Sol Forest, our heroes now find themselves in the neighboring Sol Town. It would appear that a surprise is in store for Ash and Brock._

Ash and Brock have their eyes closed, and Brenda is leading them forward. She says, "Alright guys, just a few more steps…and look!"

Ash and Brock open their eyes. They are standing in front of a large building. Above the door is a picture of a yellow ribbon with a sun pattern on its center. Ash exclaims, "Wow, it's a Contest Hall! I haven't seen one of those since Sinnoh."

Brock deduces, "So, since you were so excited about showing us this, that must mean…you're going to enter."

Brenda nods. "Yep, in all honesty, before I left to get my first Pokémon, I had no idea what I wanted to do besides just go on an adventure with my Pokémon, but then I saw a Contest on TV, and I knew I had to become a coordinator."

Ash asks, "So are you saying that you hadn't even heard about Pokémon Contests before then?"

She nods. "Never. But does that mean that you have?"

Ash and Brock nod. Ash explains, "You see, we've had a few friends who were coordinators. I've even competed in a Contest or two myself, for that matter, Brock did too, once." Brock nods.

"Wow, so I'm actually the only one here who hasn't been in one."

Brock says, "Well, according to a poster I saw when we were coming into town, the Contest is going to start pretty soon, you better go get registered. Why don't you do that, and I'll go to the store to stock up on supplies?"

Brenda nods. "Alright."

Ash says, "I'll head out with you Brock. Good luck Brenda."

"Thanks." She runs into the Contest Hall, Ash and Brock go the other way.

Nearby, crouching behind a bush, is Team Rocket. Jessie looks ecstatic. She say happily, "Pokémon Contests, here in the Tenno Region, who would have ever thought?"

James asks, "So are you going to enter?"

"Of course I'm going to enter! What kind of question is that!?"

Meowth states, "Well, you can't enter looking like that."

Jessie nods. "You're right, I can't wear street clothes, I need a fabulous dress."

Meowth mutters, "I meant that you can't be seen in your uniform, but I guess that works too."

Jessie continues, "You two, go get me a disguise worthy of my natural beauty, I'll except nothing less!" James and Meowth run off.

* * *

Inside the Contest Hall, Brenda is waiting in line to register. She's next. After he person in front of her is done, she steps forward. The clerk says, "Hello, and welcome to the Sol Town Contest Hall. How may I help you?"

Brenda responds, "Hi, I'm a new coordinator, and I'd like to register for the Contest."

The clerk nods. "Of course, if I could just see your Pokédex please." Brenda hands over the Pokédex. The clerk inserts the Pokédex into a computer, which scans it. A picture if Brenda, along with her Kappaqua and Chrysalux are shown. A card prints out, and the clerk hands the card and the Pokédex to Brenda. "This is your Contest Pass, you use it to gain entry into contests anywhere in the Tenno Region." She pulls out a case and hands it over as well. "And this is your Ribbon Case, if you earn any ribbons, you can keep them in here."

"Thank you very much." Brenda turns around and starts to walk away. She's looking at her Contest Pass and Ribbon Case with fascination. Her lack of attention causes her to bump into someone else, causing her to drop her pass and case. "Oops, silly me."

She begins to bend over to pick them up, but the person she bumped into says, "No, excuse me, and please, allow me." He bends over, picks up the dropped items, and hands them back. Brenda gets a good look at him. He's slightly taller, and thus, slightly older than her. He has black hair, combed to the side in a refined way, fairly handsome features, and wears a silver tuxedo.

Brenda, after a few moments, says, "Thanks."

He smiles. "Don't mention it." He extends a hand. "My name's Will."

Brenda shakes his hand. "I'm Brenda."

Will looks her over. "I hope you don't plan on entering your first Contest looking like that."

Brenda is confused. "Why?"

Will laughs. "Have you never seen a contest before? Or maybe you come from Hoenn? Anyways, here in Tenno, as well as most other regions, you must dress your best while competing in a Contest."

Brenda forces a laugh. "Of course I knew that! Why wouldn't I know that? Everyone knows that!"

Will laughs. "Of course. I guess I'll be seeing you around." He walks off.

Brenda runs to the nearest videophone and dials a number. Within a few moments, her mom appears on screen. Brenda says with panic, "Mom, I need a dress, now!"

Her mom laughs. "Are you entering the Sol Contest?" Brenda nods. "I thought so. I also thought you might not know the requirements for a Pokémon Contest. Don't worry, I've already sent a package to the Sol Town Pokémon Center with everything you'll need, including a dress, ball capsules, and seals. It should be there by now."

Brenda breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you Mom, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I don't know either. Good luck at the Contest, I'll be watching on TV." She hangs up.

* * *

Later, Ash, Brock, and Brenda are now outside the Contest Hall. Brenda seems to be explaining something. "Yeah, I was so embarrassed. But luckily, my mom had a dress ready for me."

Brock asks, "Have you even trained at all for this?"

Brenda shakes her head. "No, I kind of figured I'd just wing it, you know, make it up as I go."

"I don't know if that's the best idea, especially if you've only seen that one Contest on TV."

Ash exclaims, "Hey, I know, why don't you train against me right now?"

Brenda smiles. "Okay, let's do it!"

They each step away from each other and face each other. Ash throws a Pokéball. "Go, Apprentichick!"

"Apprenti!"

Brenda also pulls out a Pokéball. "Chrysalux, center stage!" Chrysalux appears in front of here, and just sits there. "Alright Chrysalux, let's start this battle off with String Shot!" Chrysalux sits and does nothing. Brenda is confused. "Hey, what gives!? Why won't Chrysalux attack?"

Brock shouts, "Chrysalux is a cocoon Pokémon, in this state it can only use the moves Harden and Flash."

"What!? I can't use that in a Contest!"

Ash smiles. "Come on Apprentichick, let's take this chance to attack! Use Wing Attack!" Apprentichick dives at the cocoon Pokémon.

"Chrysalux, use your Harden!" Chrysalux flashes silver for a moment, and absorbs the hit.

"Keep up the Wing Attacks!" Apprentichick goes in for another dive.

"Flash, now!" A bright light flashes from the Pokémon, and Apprentichick veers off course, missing its mark. However, it shakes it off and goes in for another hit. "Use Harden again!" Chrysalux takes several hits in a row without budging. Brenda sighs. "Chrysalux is great and all, but if all it can do is absorb hits and lower accuracy, I'll never get anything done with it."

Brock suggests, "Maybe you should just use Kappaqua the entire time."

"Yeah, I guess, I just wanted to use all my Pokémon, not just one." Suddenly, Chrysalux begins to glow a harsh white light. Brenda gasps.

Ash exclaims, "It's evolving already!"

Brenda exclaims, "That's great!"

Chrysalux loses its shell shape and wings unfold. The light ceases and Chrysalux is replaced by a Glitterfly. It cries, "Glittererererfly!"

Brenda jumps for joy. "This is perfect!" She hugs Glitterfly. "You evolved just in time for the Contest!" Glitterfly looks happy.

Brock suggests, "Why don't you use your Pokédex to see what moves your Glitterfly can use now?"

Brenda does so. The Pokédex says, "Glitterfly can use the moves Flash, Solar Beam, Signal Beam, and Sparkling Flare."

Ash says, "That's wonderful. This reminds me of the first Pokémon I ever caught." Ash reminisces about his Caterpie. "I had barely caught it, and it evolved into a Metapod, and then a Butterfree…" Ash gets lost in memories.

Brenda looks back at Glitterfly. "Are you ready for our first Contest Glitterfly?"

It replies with an excited, "Glitterererfly!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**Hiding in people's shadows at night, this Pokémon absorbs their heat. The chill it causes makes the victims shake.**

* * *

Ash and Brock are waiting in the backstage of the Contest Hall. Brenda steps out from a changing room. "Ta da!" She's wearing a long, red and white dress, reminiscent of her normal clothes. She's taken off her hat and instead wears a white ribbon. "So, how do I look?"

Brock says, "You look great Brenda."

Ash nods. "You'll fit just fine out there."

Brenda looks up at a TV screen. "Hey, look, it's starting!"

They all turn to the screen. Up on stage is a woman who looks reminiscent of Vivian, Lillian, and Marian, hosts of Contests in other regions. She's wearing a blue gown. She announces, "Welcome one and all to the Sol Town Pokémon Contest!" The crowd cheers. "I'm your host, Gillian Meridian! Who's ready for the show?" Everyone cheers. "Let's meet our judges! First, it's the Contest Director, and our Head Judge, Mr. Contesta!"

Mr. Contesta smiles. "I'm looking forward to seeing what all you coordinators have come up with!"

"Next, the President of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!"

"Sol Town is remarkable!"

"And finally, it's Nurse Joy!"

"I wish you all the best of luck."

Brenda asks, "Did they bring Nurse Joy all the way from Aster Town to judge this Contest?"

Ash laughs. "No, that's probably her sister or something. The entire family looks exactly same."

Brock comes in, "First of all, it's cousin, and she happens to looks far different from the Aster Town Nurse Joy…she's much prettier." Brock pulls out a picture showing an entire family of different Joys on it. "See, she's right there on the left."

Brenda laughs. "Right…"

Gillian continues, "Now, let's get his show on the road! During the first round, coordinators will work with their Pokémon to show off their beauty to the best of their abilities! Without further ado, here's our first contestant!"

Brock says, "We better get to our seats. Come on Ash."

As they're leaving, Ash calls, "Good luck Brenda!"

* * *

**It's Gengar!**

* * *

It's a little latter in the Contest. Gillian announces, "And our next coordinator is none other than Will!" Will steps onto the stage. The crowd cheers.

Backstage, Brenda thinks, _That's the guy from before! I wonder how good he is…_

Will throws a Pokéball into the air. "Grace the stage Cryogonal!" A flurry of snowflakes emerges from the Pokéball's seal, and Cryogonal appears from the blizzard.

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Cryogonal, the Crystallizing Pokémon and a Ice-Type. Cryogonal constantly change the form of their body, depending on the surrounding temperature. If it gets to hot, it will vaporize, only to reform when the temperature lowers again. Cryogonal does not evolve."

Will commands, "Cryogonal, Icy Wind!" Cryogonal adds its Icy Wind attack to the seal's snowflakes. "Now, Rapid Spin!" The Pokémon begins to rotate rapidly, causing the snow to spin around it like a tornado.

Gillian exclaims, "Breathtaking, Cryogonal is creating a whirlwind blizzard! It's a sight that you'd have to see to believe!"

Will keeps it up. "Let's step this up with Light Screen!" A golden light surrounds the spinning Pokémon, which scatters and reflects through the ice whirlwind. The crowd is in awe.

Brock says to Ash, "This guy is no joke. He's good."

"Time for the grand finale! Cryogonal, Aurora Beam!" The Pokémon stops spinning and creates a beam like the Northern Lights. The whirlwind slows, and then scatters across the field, and each individual snowflake sparkles with an array of colors.

Gillian exclaims, "And now that the whirlwind has dissipated, the thousands of tiny snowflakes are each reflecting the combined light of the Light Screen and Aurora Beam! Brilliant!" Will bows. "Let's see what our judges have to say.

Mr. Contesta is first. "The combination of light and snow is an awe inspiring sight."

Mr. Sukizo. "Ice-Type Pokémon are remarkable!"

Finally, Nurse Joy. "It was the perfect combination of beauty and grace."

Will walks off the stage.

Backstage, Brenda clenches her hands. She thinks, _Wow, he's really good. Am I really cut out for this?_

Gillian announces, "And now let's give a round of applause to our next contestant, she's a self-proclaimed Princess of the Stars, it's Jessileia!"

Running out on stage is a woman in dress with a starscape printed on it. She has long red hair that is loosely curled up into a bun on either side of her head. She blows kisses to the audience, shouting, "Greetings to all my fans! It's your pleasure to see me!"

In the audience, James and Meowth are cheering with the crowd. Meowth says, "Great job with that costume James, I can barely tell myself who she is. She looks like she came right out of a movie."

James nods. "It may have cost me one of my rarest bottle caps, but it was worth it."

Back down at the stage, Jessileia, apparently Jessie, has stopped blowing kisses. She runs up to her position and throws a Pokéball. Many large musical notes of different colors emerge and swirl around each other until they hit the roof. Upon impact, they separate, revealing Wobbuffet, hanging in the roof from a hook. The music notes continue to fly around the room, creating a tune as they move. Jessie snaps her fingers. "Lights please." The lights shut off. "Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat!" Wobbuffet begins to glow. Jessie pulls out a mechanical device and switches it on, and places it on the floor. It's some sort of spotlight that shines up at Wobbuffet. Upon hitting the Mirror Coat, the light scatters across the stage, similar to a disco ball. Wobbuffet even starts to spin, increasing the effect.

Gillian states, "What an odd technique! What is Jessileia up to?"

Jessie runs into the center of the stage, where the music notes are still floating around, creating music. Jessie twirls around and dances in the brilliant light reflected from Wobbuffet. Jessie looks up. "Alright Wobbuffet, come on down and use Counter!" Wobbuffet drops and glows a different colored light, hits the ground and bounces high because of the Counter attack. Jessie does one last twirl, Wobbuffet lands, and they both strike a pose.

The crowd cheers. Gillian announces, "It seems the audience loved it, but let's see what our judges say!"

Mr. Contesta is first. "A unique blend of both the Pokémon's and the coordinator's talents."

Then Mr. Sukizo. "That dance was remarkable!"

Finally Nurse Joy. "Who could have ever thought of turning a Pokémon into a disco ball?"

James and Meowth are clapping and cheering. James says, "Our girl hasn't lost her touch!"

Meowth responds, "Not a bit. And there we were, prepared for trouble."

"I made it double."

"She protected herself from devastation."

"And united fans into her nation."

"She showed the beauty of truth and love."

"She's extending her reach to the stars above."

"That's Jessie!"

"And I'm a proud James."

"She's blasting off at the speed of light."

"Those other coordinators should prepare to fight."

"Meowth, that's right!"

* * *

It's now a little later in the First Round. Gillian announces, "And now it's time for our final performance! She's a new coordinator from Launch Town! It's Brenda!"

Brenda runs onto her platform. She waves to everyone. She tosses a Pokéball. "Kappaqua, center stage!" Out of the Pokéball comes a small wave of water. As it travels forward, it grows larger. Kappaqua appears on top of it, surfing. "Jump up and use Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqua leaps up and fires an Aqua Bomb straight down. It hits the wave and explodes, sending water droplets flying in all directions. "Now catch the water with Confusion!" Upon landing, using its psychic powers, Kappaqua stops the drops in midair.

"Look at the rarely seen beauty of water suspended in midair!"

Brock comments, "So far, so good."

Ash says, "Don't worry about her, I'm sure she'll do fine."

Brenda shouts, "Now, send it all upwards!"

"Kappa!" All of the water goes straight up into the air and coalesces into a large orb of water.

"Let's finish this up! Aqua Bomb, followed by a Water Gun!" Kappaqua fires another Aqua Bomb straight up. After a few moments, it aims a Water Gun, hitting the Aqua Bomb and speeding it up. The combined attack hits the orb of water and explodes, splashing a fine mist of water across the audience and creating a rainbow.

Gillian exclaims, "Nothing beats the feeling of a cool mist on a hot summer day!"

Mr. Contesta states, "I never would have guessed this was your first Pokémon Contest."

Mr. Sukizo simply says, "That was remarkable!"

Nurse Joy explains, "A performance that showcased the simplicity and beauty of a Water-Type Pokémon."

Brenda looks overjoyed. She takes a bow.

Backstage, Will is intently watching. He thinks, _There's no way that this is her first Contest. It took me many tries until I was that good! She's one to look out for._

* * *

Brenda is back backstage. She looks nervous. Gillian's voice comes over the TV, "Alright folks, after a few hard decisions from our expert panel of judges, we've narrowed down the competition to the eight top performances! Here they are!" Brenda, Will, and Jessie all look to the screen intensely. In the audience, Ash and Brock lean forward for a better view.

_ With the first round of her first Contest behind her, Brenda now waits for her results. Will she move on to the Second Round? Will she win her first ribbon? There's only one way to find out. Stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	9. Episode 9: Beginner's Luck

Episode 9: Beginner's Luck

_Brenda has entered her first Pokémon Contest. She put up an admirable performance in the Appeal Stage, and now she waits to see if that was enough._

Brenda, Will, and Jessie in her Princess Jessileia costume are watching the TV screen backstage of the Sol Town Contest Hall. Gillian announces, "Alright folks, after a few hard decisions from our expert panel of judges, we've narrowed down the competition to the eight top performances! Here they are!" One by one, faces begin to appear on the screen. First is Will, a few unknown people, then Jessie. There is room for one more person. After showing the second to last person, the screen pauses. Brenda gulps. Finally, her face appears.

Brenda jumps and shouts, "Yeah, I made it!"

In the audience Ash and Brock cheer, "She made it!"

Back at Brenda's house, her mom is watching the Contest on TV nods and states, "She made it."

Backstage, Brenda looks around. Several people around her appear disappointed, but others appear excited and happy. She catches a glimpse of Will, who smiles and nods at her. She does likewise and sits back down.

Gillian explains, "And now we enter into the Second Round, the Battle Stage! In this exciting round, two coordinators go head on head battling, while attempting to lower their opponent's point count by showing off their Pokémon's grace and beauty, and all while attempting to block the opponent from doing the same! Whoever has the last Pokémon standing, or the most points at the end of the time limit wins and moves on to the next round! Are you ready!? Let's do this! Match-ups will be shown on the screen now!" A tournament grid appears on the screen. The first match shows Brenda and Jessie. "Our first battle will take place between Brenda and Princess Jessileia! Would the contestants please come to the stage?!"

Brenda and Jessie get up and head towards the exit. Brenda extends a hand, "Good luck."

Jessie scoffs, "Am I supposed to shake that? Let me give you a piece of advice twerp, I've entered in Contests around the world, I've even been in a Grand Festival. You don't stand a chance. And I won't wish you luck, because in the end, it will be me winning." She turns and walks out.

Brenda says to herself, "What's up with her?" She shakes her head and walks out as well.

* * *

Brenda and Jessie have made their way up to the stage. Gillian announces, "First off, let's set the stage!" She beckons to the roof, which begins to move. It slides to the side, allowing the light of the Sun to fill the room. "Since Sol Town is known as the Town of the Sun, it's only appropriate that we allow these battles to take place under the bright light of the Sun! Now, five minutes on the clock please!" Up on the scoreboard, which shows a picture of Brenda and Jessie, and timer saying 5:00 appears. "And begin!"

Brenda throws her Pokéball first. "Glitterfly, center stage!" A brilliant flash of light is generated by the ball's seal, and from that light comes Glitterfly.

"Glitterererfly!"

Brock nods slowly. "Saving Glitterfly for this round was a good choice, but potentially risky."

Ash asks, "Why?"

"Brenda only just caught Glitterfly, and on top of that, it only evolved a few hours ago. She hasn't had that much of a chance to get accustomed to it. But then, at the same time, Glitterfly is a fully evolved Pokémon, so it should be a better battler than Kappaqua, in theory, not to mention its natural beauty gives it a distinct advantage. It will be interesting to see what happens in this battle. It could go either way."

Jessie laughs. "That's all you have to offer? Just wait until you see my Pokémon! Go!" From her Pokéball comes several ribbons which fly and twist around each other. Out of them emerges Repiv.

"Repivvvvvv!"

Jessie commands, "Repiv, use Poison Fang!"

Brenda counters, "Glitterfly, Sparkling Flare!" Glitterfly flaps its wings and sends a stream of sparkles at Repiv.

"Dodge it!" Repiv twists around the attack and bites down on Glitterfly. Brenda's points are slightly lowered.

"Get out of its jaws Glitterfly, distract it with Flash!" A blinding bright light fills the room. When it ceases, Repiv is dazed and loosens its grip. "Now attack with Solar Beam!" Glitterfly absorbs solar energy, and quickly fires a beam of energy, hitting Repiv.

Gillian shouts, "Looks like Brenda is using the bright Sun to her advantage! In light like this, Glitterfly can charge its Solar Beam instantly!" Jessie's points lower.

Jessie shouts, "Don't let the twerpette do that to you! Attack with Poison Sting!"

Brenda shouts, "Counter with Signal Beam!" The attacks hit in the center, exploding into sparks.

Gillian narrates, "And now we have a collision of two equally powerful moves, canceling each other out and creating a beautiful sight in the process!" Both lose points this time, Jessie more so than Brenda.

Jessie is annoyed. "Get in close, and use Wrap!"

"Glitterfly, don't let get around you, hit it with another Signal Beam!"

"Glitter!" Glitterfly launches another beam of light at Repiv, but Repiv manages to twist its serpentine body around the attack.

Gillian explains, "Jessileia is using Repiv's serpentine body to easily dodge attacks, putting Brenda at a disadvantage!" Brenda loses more points.

Repiv manages to wrap around Glitterfly and constricts. Jessie commands, "Now keep on hitting it with Poison Fang!" Repiv strikes several times with its poisonous fangs. Glitterfly is in pain. Brenda's points continue to drop. She is now below half.

Brenda gets nervous. "Get out of there, close range Solar Beam!" Glitterfly manages to hit Repiv's head with a powerful Solar Beam, knocking it off. Jessie's points slightly fall. She is currently just above half. "Good job Glitterfly!"

Glitterfly tries to respond, "Glitter-" but is suddenly cut off when it glows purple and cries out in pain. This stops quickly.

Brenda asks, "What's wrong Glitterfly!?"

Gillian answers, "It looks like Glitterfly has been poisoned by Repiv's Poison Fang! Now it will take damage over time! If Brenda wants to win, it better be soon!"

Brock looks distraught. Ash asks, "What's wrong Brock?"

"Glitterfly isn't only poisoned. It's badly poisoned. Repiv has an ability called Toxify. It makes it so that if it poisons a Pokémon, that Pokémon becomes badly poisoned instead. Glitterfly has a lot of damage coming its way."

Ash nods in understanding. "You're right. That's not good."

Jessie smiles. "Too bad twerpette. Repiv, take advantage of the situation and use Venoshock!"

"Repiv!" From a distance, Repiv spits a stream of poison towards Glitterfly, soaking it. Brenda loses points. Glitterfly looks badly damaged.

Gillian points out, "And now Jessileia's taking advantage of that poison and doubling the power of Venoshock!"

Brenda looks at Glitterfly. It is beat up and worn down. It lights up purple again and takes more damage from poison. Brenda thinks, _Glitterfly has taken so much damage. What can I do? Maybe I wasn't cut out for Contest's after all. _She hangs her head.

From the audience, Ash shouts down, "Hey Brenda, you can't give up yet! The battle isn't over until it's over!"

Brenda looks up to the scoreboard. She has just over a third of her points. Jessie still has just over half. There is exactly two minutes left on the clock. _He's right. I can't give up. Not yet. _She shouts aloud, "Glitterfly, we're not done yet! Fly up high!" Glitterfly takes to the skies.

Jessie laughs. "Like that's going to do you any good! Repiv, hit it with Poison Sting!" Repiv starts to fire its stings straight up towards Glitterfly.

"Sparkling Flare!" Glitterfly counters with its dazzling attack, and the two attacks collide and explode into sparkles. "Now Flash!" Repiv is dazed and confused by the bright flash of light. Jessie's points are lowered.

Jessie gets annoyed again. "More Poison Sting!" Repiv tries to attack, but misses by a long shot.

"Glitterfly, Solar Beam!" Glitterfly fires its attack straight down. Repiv can't see it coming, and can't dodge. It hits. Jessie's points lower more. "Now give it another Signal Beam!" Another hit. "Alternate your attacks!" Glitterfly flies around Repiv, firing its beams from different angles, each one hitting.

Jessie is stomping her feet with anger. "Stop getting hit! Get out of the way!" Repiv, still blinded by the Flash, is unable to do so. Repiv faints. The judges all declare the battle over, and an X appears on the screen of each of their stands. A look at the scoreboard reveals that there was five seconds left, and Jessie was nearly out of points, Brenda still had about a third.

Gillian announces, "That's it, it's all over! Brenda and Glitterfly win!"

Ash and Brock stand up and cheer. James and Meowth hang their heads. James says, "So much for Jessie's victory."

Meowth sighs. "We're never going to hear the end of it this time."

Jessie stomps her feet in anger. She grunts to herself, "I'm blasting off again!" and she turns runs off the stage.

Brenda is smiling and waving to the audience.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**People have driven this Pokémon almost to the point of extinction. In the evenings, this Pokémon is said to sing plaintively as it seeks what few others of its kind still remain.**

* * *

A montage of scenes is shown. First Will is shown defeating an opponent who uses a Floatzel, advancing to the next round. Then several scenes of Brenda in her second battle against a random coordinator are shown. It's her Glitterfly against a Vivillion. Brenda wins. Then, in Will's second battle, he beats a Snowrunt. The final scene in the montage shows the tournament brackets. It's up to the finals, Brenda and Will.

* * *

Gillian announces, "It's been a long and hard climb to the top, but these two fabulous coordinators have made it to the Final Round! On my left, he's a popular coordinator who's going for his second ribbon! It's Will!" Will comes out, and the audience applauds. "On my right, she's a brand-new coordinator with no experience in contests, and yet she's shown herself to be a natural coordinator, it's Brenda!" Brenda comes out on the other side. There is once again an applause. "Let's get this battle going! Five minutes on the clock please, and go!"

Brenda shouts, "Glitterfly, center stage!" The same way it did before, Glitterfly appears on the stage.

Will flips his hair to the side and throws his Pokéball. "Grace the stage Ravenoir!" Out comes a bird Pokémon. It's about a foot and a half tall, and is colored pitch-black. Its design is sleek and smooth, while its feathers are glossy. Its eyes are red and almost appear to glow.

Ash states, "Let's see what the Pokédex has to say." He pulls it out.

"Ravenoir, the Nevermore Pokémon and a Dark and Flying combo-type. Ravenoir are often said to be a bad omen. If one is seen at sunset, it is believed bad luck lurks just beyond the corner. Ravenoir evolves into Necrow by trading while holding a Reaper Cloth."

Will states, "Please, you take the first move."

Brenda smiles. "I think I will! Glitterfly, use Solar Beam!" Glitterfly, aided by the bright sun, launches a powerful Solar Beam.

"Ravenoir, dodge!" Ravenoir flies out of the way. Brenda loses her first points

Brock states, "Too bad that missed, that attack would have been super effective."

Ash asks with some confusion, "How would a Grass-Type move like Solar Beam be super effective against a Dark and Flying-Type Pokémon?"

Brock explains, "Normally the move Solar Beam inflicts Grass-Type damage, but that changes when used by a Light-Type Pokémon. When such a Pokémon uses Solar Beam, it becomes a Light-Type move instead, and Light is super effective against Dark."

Will declares, "Dark Pulse!" Ravenoir creates an orb of dark energy that's sent at Glitterfly. Glitterfly is unable to dodge. Brenda loses more points.

Gillian announces, "A super effective hit by Dark Pulse on Glitterfly!"

Ash is confused once more. "Brock, didn't you just say that Light is good against Dark? How come she just said that Dark is good against Light?"

Brock nods. "I understand your confusion. It works both ways. Light brightens the dark, while dark obscures the light."

Ash nods. "That makes sense."

Brenda counters, "Come on Glitterfly, let's attack with Signal Beam!" Glitterfly lets loose a dazzling beam of light at Ravenoir.

Will shouts, "Counter with another Dark Pulse!" Brenda's attack is cancelled by Will's. "Now move in for a Wing Attack!" Ravenoir flies towards Glitterfly with high speed.

"Glitterfly, stop it with Solar Beam!" Before it can deliver its attack, Ravenoir is stopped by the Solar Beam and knocked back. Will loses the first of his points. "Great Job, now hit it with a Sparkling Flare!" A stream of sparkles are sent at the still recovering Ravenoir, hitting it again. Will loses more points. "And now, one more Solar Beam!"

Will smiles and murmurs, "Gotcha." He then shouts, "Ravenoir, use Moonlit Night!"

Ravenoir cries, "Raven!" and an orb of darkness flies straight up into the air, covering the Sun. Suddenly, the room goes dark. A full Moon has appeared in front of the Sun, covering it. The stars can be seen in the sky. It is for all intents and purposes, nighttime. Glitterfly's Solar Beam keeps on charging, much after it would normally fire.

Gillian explains, "Will has turned day to night with Ravenoir's Moonlit Night attack! Now Glitterfly is stuck charging its Solar Beam, which takes double the time to charge during the night compared to a normal, non-sunny day, and then will only do half the damage!" Brenda loses points.

Will commands, "Now it's time! Lunar Beam!" Ravenoir gathers shadowy energy, and then quickly releases a powerful beam of darkness.

Brenda shouts, "Dodge it Glitterfly!" However, Glitterfly, still charging its Solar Beam, is unable dodge. The Lunar Beam hits.

Gillian exclaims, "And now Will is using Brenda's own tactic against her! Under this full Moon, Lunar Beam takes next to no time at all to charge!" Brenda's points drop to below half. Three minutes are left.

Brenda shouts in desperation, "Come on Glitterfly, attack already!" Glitterfly continues to charge.

Will shouts, "Now let's show off our beauty and grace! Use a Dark Pulse, and follow it with another Lunar Beam!" Ravenoir fires off a Dark Pulse, quickly followed by another fast to charge Lunar Beam. The two moves collide and combine on the way towards Glitterfly, hitting it for double the damage. Brenda's points drastically drop to bellow a quarter.

Glitterfly finally fires off its attack, and manages to hit Ravenoir, but still doing less damage than before. Will loses a slight amount points. He's just over three-fourths of his max. Brenda is stressed. "Come on Glitterfly, let's switch over to Signal Beam!" Glitterfly quickly attacks this time.

"Ravenoir, dodge." Ravenoir appears to blend into the Darkness, effortlessly dodging the attack. Brenda loses a few points.

Brock grunts. "I was afraid of this. That Ravenoir has the Night Shroud ability. It can make the Pokémon almost impossible to hit during the night."

Will commands, "Now Wing Attack!" Ravenoir appears out of nowhere behind Glitterfly and hits it with its wing.

Brenda shouts, "Turn around and use Sparkling Flare!" Glitterfly quickly turns around launches its attack, but Ravenoir has already disappeared back into the darkness. The attack misses.

"Rapid fire Wing Attacks!" Ravenoir appears out of the darkness again to hit Glitterfly, then disappears again, only to reappear and hit from another angle.

"Get out of there Glitterfly!" Glitterfly tries to get away, but can't. Ravenoir's onslaught continues. Brenda's points are steadily lowering. Brenda says to herself, "Glitterfly can't see Ravenoir in this darkness. If only it had some way to see…wait, that's it! Glitterfly, use Flash, and as soon as you see Ravenoir, hit it with a Signal Beam!"

"Glittererererfly!" Glitterfly causes a flash that lights up the room around, Ravenoir can be seen coming head on. Glitterfly hits it with Signal Beam. The flash subsides.

"Keep up the Flashes!" Glitterfly lights up the room once more, and then hits the once more revealed Ravenoir. Whenever the light dies out, Ravenoir attempts to use the darkness to its advantage, but Glitterfly reveals it each time with another Flash, then hits it with another attack. Will's points begin to drop now. Brenda shouts, "Yeah, we can do this Glitterfly!"

Just as she finishes shouting that, Gillian declares, "And time!" She beckons up to the scoreboard. Brenda has almost no points left, Will has just under half. "The winner of the Sol Contest is Will and Ravenoir!"

Brenda hangs her head and takes a deep breath. She says to herself, "I lost…"

Will has walked across the stage to Brenda and says, "Hey, cheer up. That was a great battle. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought that you already had Contest experience. This was only your first Contest, and yet you showed the skills of a pro. That's nothing to be ashamed of."

Brenda looks back up. She smiles. Will smiles back.

* * *

**It's Lapras!**

* * *

A little later, Will is now standing on top of a platform on the stage with Ravenoir and Cryogonal next to him. Mr. Contesta walks up to him and hands him a golden ribbon with a picture of a sun on it. Mr. Contesta declares, "It is my pleasure to present the Sol Ribbon to you. That was an amazing display you showed us today, one to be proud of."

Will takes the ribbon. "Thank you. This is a great honor." He holds the ribbon up for the crowd to see. There's a grand applause.

* * *

Brenda is standing in front of a videophone at the Pokémon Center. Kappaqua is on her shoulder and Glitterfly flying behind her. Ash and Brock are also nearby. On the screen is her mom. Brenda says with some regret, "I'm sorry you couldn't watch me win Mom."

Her mom shakes her head. "You don't have to apologize to me dear. To be honest, I didn't expect you to make it past the first round. This was your first Contest, and you made it to the Finals, there aren't many people who can say that. You have a natural talent for this, and I'm sure that you'll be able to turn that natural talent into future victories. Just trust in your Pokémon, and you can do anything."

Brenda smiles. "Thanks Mom."

"And trust me, losing to Will is not a bad thing."

Brenda tilts her head. "Do you know Will?"

She laughs. "Of course I do, I thought you did as well."

Brenda shakes her head. "No, I only just met him today."

Her mom smiles. "Will placed second at last year's Grand Festival."

Brenda gasps. "Wait, you're telling me that I just held my own against someone who almost became a Top Coordinator!?"

She nods.

_Brenda may have lost her first Pokémon Contest, but she still has much ahead of her. And now knowing that she has a rivalry with a famous coordinator, who knows what could happen next. You'll just have check in next time, when the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	10. Episode 10: The Tortoise and the Flare

Episode 10: The Tortoise and the Flare

Team Rocket is seated in the control center of a mech. The mech is a large robotic Golem. Meowth declares, "With our rock-hard Rolling Golem, there's no way we won't be getting Pikachu."

Jessie exclaims, "I see a reward in our future."

James asks, "Are you sure you aren't part Psychic Jessie?"

Meowth states, "She might as well be. Let's get those twerps."

The mech takes a few steps forward, to be blocked by a Turcell walking out onto the path. It sits in the middle of the road and looks curiously at the giant Golem. It tilts its head and questions, "Tur? Cell?" The mech stops.

James asks, "Is it just me, or is that Pokémon familiar?"

Meowth exclaims, "That's the same Turcell that left us trapped in the Crater Gate!"

Jessie pounds her fist down with anger. "There's no way we can let such an injustice go unanswered. Meowth, catch that Pokémon!"

"Right away!" Meowth presses a button and the mech reaches out to grab Turcell.

The Turcell continues to look at the mech with curiosity. After a few moments, when it's just about to be grabbed, it spits a ball of molten material, which lands on the arm and melts right through it, causing it to fall to the ground.

James shouts, "That little Pokémon just melted our mech's arm off!"

Turcell then spits two more globs of molten slag.

From Team Rocket's view, it cannot be seen where they hit. Jessie taunts, "Ha ha, looks like your aim isn't all that good!"

Meowth laughs, "Yeah, you couldn't hit the broadside of a barn!"

Meanwhile James is bending over, attempting to see below them. He says with worry, "Um…guys…I don't think it missed."

They all look down. The molten slag has almost completely melted through the joints that connect the legs to the body. Team Rocket look at each other with panic. The joints break, and the Golem mech, free of support rolls backwards down a hill. James shouts, "I don't think this is what was meant by rock and roll!"

Meowth shouts, "You know what they say, a rolling stone gathers no moss!"

Jessie shouts, "I don't think that applies to this situation!"

They all shout at once, "Looks like Team Rocket's rolling off again!"

Turcell remains seated where it was. As if it has no clue what just happened, it states, "Turcell?"

* * *

_ With Brenda's first Pokémon Contest behind her, our heroes now continue onwards towards Horizoport City, location of Ash's first Tenno League gym battle. We find them now taking a break in a small town._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are sitting at a table outside of a restaurant. Ash is busily chowing down on some food. Brock laughs, "You could slow down a little Ash. You'd think that I starve you."

Between bites Ash says, "Sorry, I'm just got so hungry."

Brenda laughs, "That's Ash for you. If he's not training to be a Pokémon Master, he's stuffing his face."

Ash doesn't listen and just keeps on eating.

A boy of about Ash's age walks up to the group. He's wearing blue and black shirt and tan shorts. He says, "Hey, I've heard that you three are Pokémon trainers."

Ash looks up and mumbles with his mouth full, "Yeah, so why do you want to know?"

The boy laughs. "Because I'm a trainer too. I'm on my way to the Horizoport Gym and was looking for someone to train against."

Ash puts down his food and swallows everything in his mouth in one gulp. He quickly gets up. "You're on!"

"Great, by the way, the name's Grant."

Ash smiles. "I'm Ash from Pallet Town," he beckons to Pikachu, "and this is my partner, Pikachu."

"Pika."

"Nice to meet you. Why don't we go to the forest outside of the town? I found a good place to use as a battlefield."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**Such a thick shell of wood covers this Pokémon's head and back that even a direct hit from a truck wouldn't faze it.**

* * *

Ash and Grant are now positioned on either side of a clearing in the woods. Grant says, "Since I challenged you, I'll give you the luxury of seeing my Pokémon before you have to pick yours." He tosses a Pokéball. "Go Hitmonlee!" Hitmonlee emerges ready for battle.

Brenda says, "I've never seen one of those before."

She pulls out her Pokédex. "Hitmonlee, the Kicking Pokémon and a Fighting-Type. Hitmonlee's legs can extend to several times their length and are spring loaded. It can use this special trait to increase the power and speed of its kicks tenfold. Hitmonlee evolves from Tyrogue at level 20."

Ash reaches for a Pokéball. "If you're using a Fighting-Type, then I'll have to use this. Apprentichick, I choose you!" Ash throws his Pokéball, releasing Apprentichick.

"Apprenti!"

Grant commands, "Let's start this battle with a Mega Kick!"

"Hitmon!" Hitmonlee lunges at Apprentichick, readying its leg for a powerful kick. However, it skids to a halt when Turcell wanders into the middle of the battlefield. It looks around curiously.

Grant exclaims, "It's a Turcell!"

Turcell looks at Grant, and then turns its head towards Ash. Upon seeing Ash its face lights up with joy. "Turcell!"

Brock states, "That's odd, Turcell aren't normally found in the wild. I wonder if this one got lost."

Grant exclaims, "I don't care, this is my chance to catch a Turcell! Let's do this Hitmonlee, use your Double Kick on Turcell!"

Turcell begins to run towards Ash excitedly, when Hitmonlee comes in from behind and kicks it twice, knocking it back a few feet.

Ash starts to say, "Um…Grant…?"

Grant ignores him. "Not now, I've always wanted to catch a Turcell! Hitmonlee, keep up the Double Kicks!" Hitmonlee unleashes a barrage of kicks at Turcell. In an attempt to protect itself, Turcell retreats into its shell. "Dang, its defenses are to strong. Use Mega Kick, and make it as powerful as you can!"

"Hitmonlee!" Hitmonlee delivers a powerful kick right to Turcell's shell. The attack causes Turcell to be sent flying up above the tree tops and out of view.

Grant scratches the back of his head. "Hmm…we might have overdone that last one."

Hitmonlee lowers its head and sighs, "Hitmon…"

"Oh well, there's nothing we can do about it now but try to follow it. Let's go!"

"Hitmonlee!"

He turns, looks back at Ash, and calls, "Sorry Ash, but we'll have to finish this battle later!"

Brock and Brenda walk up to Ash. Brenda comments, "Well…that was strange."

Ash says, "I know that Turcell."

Brock asks, "What do you mean?"

Ash has a flashback to when he rescued the Turcell. "It was back when I had just gotten to Tenno. When I was chasing after Cosmo. That was the Turcell that ran away from Professor Pine's lab. I found it stranded in the middle of a river, and helped it get out."

Brock nods. "That would explain why it seemed to get happy when it saw you. Maybe it's been following you."

Brenda comments, "That would make sense. Maybe we should contact the professor."

* * *

**It's Chespin!**

* * *

Ash is on the video phone with Professor Pine. The professor is saying, "I'm glad to hear that that little guy is okay. I've been worried about it."

Ash asks, "So it is the same one from your lab?"

"It's impossible to say for sure, but I can't imagine why else you'd find a Turcell wondering around in the woods. Excuse me for a moment." He walks off screen. A few moments later he returns holding a Pokéball. "Here we go. This is Turcell's Pokéball. How about I send it to you, that way you can get Turcell back in it and send it back to me."

Ash nods. "Sure, I can do that."

"Okay, sending the Pokéball now." The Pokéball materializes on the transporter pad. Ash picks it up and pockets it. "Do you have it?"

"Yup, it just came through. I'll call you again when I find Turcell. Bye professor."

"Bye Ash, and good luck." The screen turns off.

Ash looks up at Apprentichick, which apparently had never returned to its Pokéball, and asks, "Apprentichick , can you search the woods for Turcell?" Apprentichick nods and flies out the already open door. The group follows.

Nearby a suspicious group of three wearing casual clothes, sunglasses, and hats are sitting. It's Team Rocket in disguise. Jessie says, "So that pesky Turcell belongs to the professor."

James nods. "All the more reason to steal it. A genuine starter Pokémon."

Meowth says, "And that not even the beginning of it."

James asks, "What do you mean by that?"

Meowth explains, "Imagine if we gave it to The Boss." A fantasy sequence begins. "The Boss is a wealthy man, and yet, he could always be wealthier. I'm certain that in order to save money, The Boss turns off all of his electronic equipment as much as possible." A cartoonish Giovanni is shown navigating himself through a dark room. "And of course all of that living in the dark has got to get pretty annoying. That's where a gifted Turcell comes in. He's a solar power plant on legs." Giovanni is now shown connecting Turcell up to a generator out side, and all of the lights in his nearby mansion turn on. "The Boss will get his electricity for free, and help the environment at the same time. That's when he'll say, 'Thanks to this here Turcell, I can slash my utility bills and do my part for the world. For helping me go green, I'll make sure that Meowth and friends see green.'" The fantasy ends.

Jessie cheers, "Green is my favorite color!"

James agrees, "Mine too!"

The three chant, "We'll be green, we'll be mean, we'll be an unbeatable machine!"

Wobbuffet emerges from its Pokéball to add, "Wobbuffet!"

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have made it back to the woods. Apprentichick flies in. "Apprenti!"

Ash asks, "Did you find it?" It nods.

They follow it for a little while until they find Grant commanding his Hitmonlee to attack Turcell. "Now use High Jump Kick!" Hitmonlee leaps up and prepares to attack.

Turcell counters with an Ember attack, scorching Hitmonlee, but not stopping it. Hitmonlee's attack hits, knocking back Turcell.

Grant cheers, "Yeah, that's it!" He pulls out a Pokéball. "Go, Pokéball!" The Pokéball is sent at Turcell and opens to catch it. However, the beam shatters upon enveloping Turcell. "Hey, what gives!?"

Brock explains, "That's not a wild Pokémon. It's actually belongs to Professor Pine."

Ash pulls out the Pokéball. "Yeah, and this is its Pokéball."

Turcell, hearing Ash's voice, perks up and looks at Ash excitedly.

Grant hangs his head. "So I never had a chance to catch it at all…" He sighs.

Ash walks over to Turcell. "Hey Turcell, remember me?" It nods happily. "I've got your Pokéball here so we can return you to the professor, okay?" Turcell slowly nods.

Grant states, "I really wanted that Turcell too."

Suddenly, Jessie declares, "You may not have been able to catch Turcell, but that doesn't mean we can't!"

Grant looks up. "Who said that?"

In comes walking another Team Rocket mech. It's another Golem robot, but this one is bigger and coated in silver armor. Jessie and James are standing on top of it. Jessie starts, "Prepare for climate trouble!"

James adds, "Make it a glacier melting double!"

"To protect the world from global warming!"

"To stop this crisis that's surely forming!"

"To announce the evils of air pollution!"

"To find a greener solution!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Grant asks a little confused, "So you're environmentalists?"

Jessie looks at James angrily, "That's last time we have a green-themed motto! I knew it wouldn't be a good idea!"

James looks nervous. "Sorry, I thought it was appropriate."

Ash runs up next to Grant with Turcell following. "They're no environmentalists. They're Team Rocket, a group of no good Pokémon thieves."

Jessie yells, "What do you mean 'no good'? We're great at what we do! We've come to take that Turcell. It owes us big time now."

Brenda shouts, "Turcell belongs to Professor Pine, it's reserved for new trainers!"

Meowth asks, "And you think we care why?" Team Rocket gets into the cockpit of the mech. "You'll never stop our Rolling Golem Mark Two! Let's start things off with a Rolling Rock Throw!" The mech's arms and legs retract in and it rapidly rolls in place, causing a large boulder to fly towards Ash and everyone else.

Turcell leaps in front of Ash spits a glob of molten material at the boulder, melting right through it and causing it to shatter apart into harmless pebbles.

Brock says, "Wow, that was a Molten Slag attack. I've never seen one before. Apparently, unlike other Fire-Type moves, it's so hot that it's super effective against Rock and Ground-Type Pokémon!"

The mech stops rolling. Turcell sends two more Molten Slag attacks at the mech, attempting to melt it. Unlike before, the molten material slides right off the silvery armor.

Meowth says, "Nice try, but we aren't falling for that again. Now it's time for a Rolling Rollout!" Meowth presses a button and the Golem mech rolls at the group at high speeds. The group leaps out of the way, but the mech just turns around and heads back towards them.

Grant shouts, "Hitmonlee, stop it with Mega Kick!"

"Hitmonlee!" The Pokémon waits until the last moment and unleashes a kick, but is knocked back instead.

Ash shouts, "Try a Talon Grapple Apprentichick!" Apprentichick dives in unleashes a series of attacks that do absolutely nothing.

Turcell takes another go and withdraws into its shell, and begins to spin around and sends itself toward the Golem. Once again, it bounces off harmlessly. The group jumps out of the way of the mech once more.

It stops rolling and stands back up. James taunts, "You can try all you'd like, but your attacks can do nothing against our Rolling Golem!" They begin to roll again.

Turcell steps in front of Ash, as if to protect him, and cries, "Turcell!" as if in challenge. It begins another Rapid Spin attack, but is only deflected again. This time is sent flying into some trees.

Ash shouts, "Turcell!"

Grant looks at Ash and says, "Don't worry, we'll handle these jokers, you go help Turcell."

Ash nods and runs after it. After running through the woods, Ash emerges into a clearing with a river with a swift current flowing through it. Turcell is frantically splashing trying to get out. It is being carried away by the current. "Don't worry Turcell, I'm coming!"

Turcell cries in panic, "Tur! Tur! Turcell!"

Ash dives into the water a swims to the center and grabs Turcell. "Don't worry, I've got you." Ash, with all his effort, swims back to the shore. The two climb up the shore a little and fall to the ground with exhaustion. "Are you okay Turcell?"

Turcell, after taking a few moments to recover, smiles at Ash. "Turcell!"

Ash smiles back. "Glad to hear it."

Suddenly a loud rumbling is heard. Brock, Brenda, Grant, and their Pokémon coming running out of the trees. Following behind them is the rolling Golem mech. Meowth shouts, "Get back here you twerps!"

Brenda shouts, "Ash, get out of the way!"

Ash looks to the mech, towards Hitmonlee, towards the river, and then Turcell. He shouts, "Guys, I have an idea!"

Grant shouts, "Then stop bragging and do it!"

"Alright! Will you help me out Turcell?"

Turcell nods. "Tur!"

"Alright Turcell, prepare to use your Rapid Spin attack!" Turcell retreats into its shell and begins to spin in place. "Alright Grant, now have your Hitmonlee use its strongest Mega Kick on Turcell."

Grant nods. "Alright, I get it. Do it Hitmonlee."

"Hitmoooonnnlee!" Hitmonlee runs towards Turcell and kicks it with all its strength. Turcell is sent flying at high speeds at Team Rocket. Turcell hits the mech with a powerful impact and sends it off course, causing it to roll right into the river.

Ash shouts, "Yeah great job!"

The Golem mech is slowly sinking in the water. James shouts, "All hands, abandon ship!"

Jessie leaps out crying, "Women and children first!"

Meowth right behind her shouting, "I've lost too many of my nine lives to water!"

James comes out last shouting, "Hey, wait for me!" The three leap off and land on shore. James gives a sigh of relief and says, "Whew, that thing was sinking like a rock."

Team Rocket get up and look forward. In front of them is an angry Pikachu and Turcell. Team Rocket gulps.

Ash shouts, "Alright Turcell, you use Ember, and Pikachu use Thunder Bolt!" The two Pokémon launch a combined attack and send Team Rocket flying.

While flying off, James says, "Well, so much for our plan to promote renewable energy."

Jessie shouts angrily, "That never was our plan!"

Meowth agrees, "Yeah, the only green we care about is cash!"

James answers, "Whether you're eco friendly or not, there's at least one thing that we can all agree on…"

They all say at once, "Looks like we're blasting off again!"

* * *

A little bit later, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Grant are gathered near a videophone in the Pokémon Center. Professor Pine is one the other side of the line. Professor Pine is saying, "It sounds like you had quite the adventure."

Ash nods. "We sure did. This Turcell is one powerful Pokémon." He beckons to Turcell who is sitting on his shoulder opposite of Pikachu. "We're ready to send it back to you."

Professor Pine smiles. "I don't think that that's necessary. That Turcell seems to really like you. Why don't you keep it with you?"

Ash looks to Turcell and asks, "What do you think Turcell, do you want to come with us?"

Turcell smiles and nods. "Cell!"

Professor Pine says, "Alright, then it's settled. I expect great things out of you two. Good luck at your first gym battle."

"Bye." They hang up. Ash pulls out Turcell's Pokéball, strikes a pose, and declares, "I just caught a Turcell!"

"Pik pikachu!"

"Turcell!"

Grant approaches Ash and offers a hand to shake. "Good luck Ash, I'm leaving now."

Ash asks, "Why, don't you want to finish our battle?"

"After all that's happened today, Hitmonlee and I are tired. Besides, I'm jealous of you getting that Turcell. You have inspired me to go and catch another Pokémon, so I should go and get looking."

Ash shakes his hand. "Alright, good luck to you too then."

"Next time we meet, we'll have to have that battle for sure."

Ash nods. "Count on it."

_ With new friends found in both Turcell and Grant, Ash is ready for anything. And with Ash's first gym battle in Tenno on the horizon, you've just got to stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	11. Episode 11: Meteorite of Passage

Episode 11: Meteorite of Passage

_ At long last our heroes have made it to Horizoport City, location of Ash's first Tenno League gym battle. With his first challenge ahead, how will Ash fare? Let's find out._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking through the city. there are tall buildings on either side of them, and people everywhere. Brenda looks surprised.

Ash asks her, "What's wrong Brenda? It looks like you've never seen a city before."

"That's because I haven't."

Brock asks with minor disbelief, "Wait, you're claiming that you've never been to a city before?"

She nods. "Horizoport is the only city on all of Tenno Minor, and I've never traveled this far from home before." She looks around. "It's so…big and…busy."

Ash states, "I'm sure you'll get used to it in no time at all." Ash looks forward. "So where do you think the gym is?"

Brock takes out his guidebook and reads from it. "According to this, we shouldn't be too far right now. If we just keep on heading down this road, we'll be there in no time."

Sure enough, after a little while of walking, the group makes it a large building that is certainly the gym. It's large and dome shaped, and has a rocky exterior. Above the doors is a Pokéball emblem. Ash shouts, "That's it, the Horizoport Gym!" He runs towards the entrance.

Brock and Brenda run after him. Brock shouts, "Wait for us!"

Ash runs in. The inside of the gym is as rugged and rocky as the outside. After running through a short hall, Ash makes it to the main battle chamber. There is currently a battle going on on the battle field. Ash looks surprised. "Look who it is!"

Brock and Brenda catch up. Brock says with surprise, "That's Crate! The meteorite hunter that helped us out back when I caught Meteorfight!" Sure enough, on one side of the field is Crate, wearing his rugged exploration gear. In front of him is a Geodude.

Ash says, "Yeah, and look who he's battling."

Brenda exclaims, "That's guy we met in the Crater Gate."

"Yeah, the one who didn't want to battle me because I didn't have any Dragon-Type Pokémon." Opposing Crate is the very same dragon person. He has his Gible in front of him. Draped around his shoulders, watching the battle, is his Dratini, who appears to be worn out and injured from its own battle.

Crate declares, "You are a strong battler, but I don't plan on losing just yet. Geodude, use Rollout!"

The dragon person counters, "Gible, Rock Smash!" Geodude begins to roll at high speed and then moves towards Gible. The Gible jumps into the air, avoiding the attack, and smashing downwards with a glowing arm, impacting the Geodude, and stopping its Rollout.

Crate shouts, "Geodude, keep it up with a rapid fire Rock Throw!" Geodude begins to grab chunks of rock out of the ground and hurls them at Gible.

"Get underground Gible." Gible digs its way underground.

Crate declares, "We're not following for that one again. Geodude, focus on the ground, as soon as you see any movement, stop it with Bulldoze!" Geodude looks around and focuses. It notices the ground shaking to its left. It rolls to its right and then charges at the spot above where the ground shook, however Gible suddenly emerges from behind it, hitting it and causing it fly away. It cries, "Geodude!" Crate looks surprised.

The dragon person grins. "You're not the only one who can catch onto a strategy. We knew that if we caused a false vibration, you'd attack there, leaving your flank open for attack." Crate grimaces. "Now Gible, finish this off with Rock Smash." Gible runs towards the fallen Geodude and delivers a chop. Geodude faints.

The referee declares, "Geodude is unable to battle, that means the winner is the challenger Ryu!"

Crate holds out a Pokéball. "Geodude, return." The dragon person, Ryu, also returns his Pokémon.

Crate walks across the field and holds out a badge. It looks like a rounded rock covered in craters. Crate says, "Ryu, I am pleased to present you with the Meteor Badge. That was a great battle."

Ryu takes it. He shrugs. "It was alright, for a battle with a trainer without any Dragon-Types." He walks away, heading up the stairs. He walks right past Ash, paying no attention to him.

Ash shouts, "Hey, you! Stop right there!"

Ryu sighs and turns around. "What is it?"

"Do you remember me? I challenged you to a battle in the Crater Gate."

"Do you have any Dragon-Type Pokémon?"

"Not with me."

"Then that explains why I don't remember you. Leave me alone." He begins to walk off again.

Ash is getting angered. "What's up with you!? Why do you care what kind of Pokémon I have!?"

He reluctantly turns around again. "I see no purpose in battling you if you have no Dragon-Type Pokémon."

Ash points to Crate. "What about him!? You said it yourself that he doesn't have any Dragon-Types!"

"He's a proven trainer, certified by the Tenno League, and I needed to defeat him to acquire his gym badge." He sighs again. "Fine, if it will stop you from bothering me any further, I'll tell you what. If you defeat him, find me tomorrow, and I might battle you." Without waiting for an answer, he turns around and leaves.

Brenda states sarcastically, "Well, isn't he nice?"

Crate comes up the stairs. He says happily, "Well would you look who it is. It's Ash, Brock, and Brenda." He looks at Brock. "How's your Meteorfight doing?"

Brock grins. "It's fine, thank you. It's adapting well to life on Earth."

Crate nods. "Good, good."

Ash says, "You never told us you were the Horizoport Gym Leader."

He shrugs. "You never asked."

Ash looks towards the exit where Ryu just walked out. Ash asks, "Who was that guy?"

Crate sighs. "That was Ryu. He's a trainer from northern Tenno Major. He claims that Dragon-Type Pokémon a superior to all others, and seeks to achieve the rank of Dragon Master. As it seems you already know, he believes in this concept so firmly that he'll only battle with trainers who have Dragon-Types. I think that that was his first gym badge."

Ash states, "That bugs me so much. What is that guy thinking?"

Crate answers, "Everyone has their own battle style, and they're all entitled to it." After a few moments, he asks, "So I'm sure you didn't come here just to pay a visit, what can I do for you?"

Ash smiles. "I'm here for a gym battle."

Crate nods. "I figured. I'm sorry to tell you this, but my Pokémon are all still tired from that last battle. Why don't we have our battle first thing tomorrow morning?"

Ash nods. "I'll be there."

Pikachu adds a determined, "Pika!"

Crate nods. "That's what I like to hear." He thinks for a moment. "In the meantime, I have something I'd like to show you guys. Why don't you follow me?"

* * *

Crate, leading Ash, Brock, and Brenda, walks into a large chamber filled with glass display cases. It looks like a museum. Crate explains, "You see, this building serves as more than just my gym, it's also the Horizoport City Meteorite Museum."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda split up and look around the museum. Brock asks, "So these are all meteorites you've found in your journeys?"

Crate nods proudly. "You bet. Every single one of them." He beckons to them. "Please, allow me to show you some of my best pieces." The three walk back over to him, and he leads them to a large display case on the opposite wall. Inside the case are four five foot diameter meteorites. "These are some of the most perfect specimens I've collected. I found them all near each other in the Hoenn Region. According to studies I've done on them, they each exude a specific frequency of energy, either offense, defense, speed, or neutrality."

Ash comments, "I've seen meteorites that look just like that in Veilstone City, back in the Sinnoh Region. Remember those Brock?" Brock nods.

Crate also nods. "Yes, my studies do seem to indicate that they are made of the very same material as the famous Veilstone Meteorites." He leads them to the center of the room. "While those might be my largest, and most perfect specimens, they are far from my most unique, valuable, and important." He stops in front of a case that's in the exact center of the room. In the case are a few small fragments, as well as one baseball-sized rock. All of them are silvery-gray in color, and seem to almost sparkle. Crate says proudly, "These are my own Meteoric Shards."

Ash exclaims, "I've seen one of those before!"

Crate raises an eyebrow. "Oh, have you?"

"Yeah, I actually came to Tenno in the first place because Professor Oak wanted me to deliver one to Professor Pine."

Crate nods. "Ah yes, Professor Pine, I actually lent one of my shards to him a while back. He promises me it's still in the best of condition."

Brenda asks, "So what exactly is a Meteoric Shard?"

Crate is happy to explain. "A Meteoric Shard is a special class of meteorite. Most Meteorites that crash on this planet are leftover scrap materials from the creation of the Solar System. A Meteoric Shard, instead of being just a leftover byproduct, are from the creation itself. A special energy permeates them, giving them special properties not found in other known material. It is believed that the Solar System itself was hewn from these stones."

Brock comments, "They must be very rare."

Crate nods. "Oh yes, very much so. I'm lucky that I've found this small handful of fragments. Just these here are worth a small fortune."

A group of three people looking at a nearby exhibit, wearing gray trench coats and hats, overhear this. They look at each other and laugh. It's Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Crate looks towards a clock. "Oh my, look at the time. I'd better be going. Feel free to look through the museum as much as you'd like. I'll see you tomorrow."

Ash replies, "And we'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon captivates foes with its huge, round eyes, then lulls them to sleep by singing a soothing melody.**

* * *

Later, Ash is at the Pokémon Center. In front of him are his three Pokémon, Pikachu, Turcell, and Apprentichick. He's inspecting them thoroughly. He says to both himself and them, "So Crate used a Geodude, I'm willing to bet that that means he has a Rock-Type based team. Unfortunately, all three of you aren't the best match-up against a Rock-Type Pokémon. Hmm…well. We do have Pikachu's Iron Tail."

Pikachu cheers, "Pika!"

"Also, Turcell, you know Molten Slag, which despite being a Fire-Type move, is super effective against Rock and Ground-Types. That should work out well, especially since Geodude is both a Rock and a Ground-Type."

Turcell nods. "Cell."

Ash turns to Apprentichick. "Well, you do have your Talon Grapple move that's part Fighting-Type… but also, dealing Flying-Type damage cancels out that super effective bonus, so you'll just have to fight the best you can."

Apprentichick puffs up its chest and gets into a fighting stance. "Apprneti!"

Ash nods. "Alright then, we have our strategy decided then."

A Nurse Joy walks up behind Ash. She says, "My, my, you have quite healthy and energetic Pokémon."

Ash turns to her. "Thank you Nurse-"

Just then Ash is interrupted by Brock coming in and kneeling in front of Nurse Joy. He proclaims, "Oh lovely Nurse Joy, his Pokémon aren't the only healthy and energetic ones here. Come with me, and I'll show you the extent of that energy-"

Brock is cut off as his Meteorfight delivers an uppercut to his chin. Brock is sent flying backwards, shouting, "That's what you get for being energetic!"

Nurse Joy simply states, "Oh my…"

* * *

**It's Jigglypuff!**

* * *

It's the next morning. Ash, followed closely behind by Pikachu, runs out of the Pokémon Center. Behind them is Brock and Brenda. They're heading straight towards the gym. Ash suddenly skids to a halt. Across the street from him is Ryu. Ash calls, "Hey, Ryu!"

Ryu looks over towards Ash and sighs. He reluctantly walks over to him. "What is it this time?"

"I thought you should know that I'm on my way to have my battle against Crate."

Ryu responds without caring, "Good for you."

"Why don't you come and watch? Maybe I can prove to you that Dragon-Types aren't the only type of Pokémon who are strong."

"You can't disprove a fact like that, but fine. I'll watch you if you stop bothering me. I've got nothing better to do anyways."

* * *

Ash and Crate stand on either side of the rocky battle field. Brenda and Brock are in the bleachers. Ryu is as well, but as far as he can be from the others. He appears bored already. The referee declares, "The Horizoport Gym match between Ash of Pallet Town and Crate, the Horizoport Gym Leader is now underway. Each trainer will use three Pokémon. In addition, only the challenger may make substitutions. Are these rules agreeable?"

Ash nods. "You bet."

The referee announces, "Alright, battle begin!"

Crate throws a Pokéball. "Go, Geodude!"

"Geodude!"

Ash throws his Pokéball. "Turcell, I choose you!"

Turcell emerges. "Turcell!"

Crate shouts, "Ash, the first move is all yours!"

"Alright, Turcell, Molten Slag!"

"Cell!" Turcell launches a globule of molten material at Geodude.

"Intercept it with Rock Throw!" Geodude pulls a chunk of rock out of the ground and hurls it towards Turcell's attack. However, the molten slag melts through the rock in midair and continues on to hit Geodude.

Geodude cries, "Dude!"

Ash shouts, "Great job Turcell! Launch some more!" Turcell fires several more globs, each one piling up on Geodude.

Brock exclaims, "Great move Ash! Being both a Rock and Ground-Type, Molten Slag is doing massive damage to Geodude."

Crate commands, "Let's get that slag off of you! Use Rollout!" Geodude begins rotating rapidly, causing all of the slag to fly off. It then rolls towards Turcell.

"Counter with Rapid Spin!" Turcell goes into its shell and spins. The spinning and the rolling Pokémon collide into each other and bounce back.

"Keep on rolling Geodude!"

"And you keep on spinning Turcell!" The two go back at each other. They collide several times in a row, only to bounce backwards, and then move in again.

After bouncing back for the fifth time, Crate shouts, "This isn't working, change to Bulldoze attack!" Geodude jumps out of its Rollout and charges at Turcell, leaving a path of wrecked ground behind it. It hits Turcell and knocks it away.

Turcell is knocked into a stone pillar and falls. Ash shouts, "Turcell, are you okay!?"

Turcell struggles, but manages to get up. It grunts, "Tur…"

Ash thinks, _Turcell's both a Fire and Steel-Type, that Ground-Type move did some massive damage to it. _He asks, "Turcell, can you go on?"

Turcell nods. "Cell."

"Alright, let's get in another Molten Slag!"

"Out of the way Geodude!" Geodude doges to the side. "Now use Rock Throw!" Geodude throws another rock.

"Dodge it Turcell!" Turcell attempts to jump out of the way, but is too slow, and gets hit by the rock. "What gives!? Turcell should be more than fast enough to dodge that attack!"

Crate explains, "That's the great thing about the move Bulldoze. It decreases the speed of the target Pokémon. Since that worked so well before, let's do it again Geodude, Bulldoze!" Geodude charges at Turcell again.

"If we can't dodge it, than we'll have to defend against it! Turcell, use Withdraw!" Turcell retreats into its shell. It is knocked back by the attack, but it seems to take less damage.

Geodude leaps backwards, landing in front of Crate. "Alright Geodude, let's go in for another Bulldoze!" Geodude rams its way towards Turcell again.

Ash thinks, _Even with Withdraw, I'm not sure how many more attacks Turcell can take. I need to end this battle, and fast. If only Turcell could hit with its Molten Slag. Wait…I've got an idea! _He shouts, "Turcell, stay in your shell until I tell you to come out!" After a few moments, Geodude is now just about to hit Turcell. "Now! Get out of your shell and use Molten Slag!" Turcell puts its head out and spits another slag attack, Geodude rams right into it, sending it back. After a few moments, Geodude struggles to get up, but fails. Geodude faints.

The referee announces, "Geodude is unable to battle!"

Crate returns Geodude. "Very good Ash! That move took a lot of bravery on both yours and your Pokémon's part."

"The credit all goes to Turcell." Turcell smiles.

"Let's see how you fare against my next Pokémon." He throws another Pokéball. "Come on out Onix!"

A large Onix appears. "Onixxxxxx!"

Brenda says with awe, "Wow, that's a big Pokémon." She pulls out her Pokédex.

"Onix, the Rock Snake Pokémon and a Rock and Ground Combo Type. Onix live most of their lives deep below ground, where they consume the rocks and minerals around them. Onix evolves into Steelix with use of the Metal Coat."

Ash looks at Turcell, it looks beat up, but not unable to battle. He asks, "Turcell, it's your call, are you good to keep going?"

Turcell nods. "Tur."

"Alright, let's go for Molten Slag again!" Turcell spits another Molten Slag attack.

"Onix, use Slam to counter!" Onix uses its tail to swat the slag away. "Now use Dragon Breath!" Onix breathes a torrent of energy at Turcell.

"Withdraw quickly Turcell!" Turcell retreats into its shell once more. The attack hits Turcell, sending it flying into the air. It lands, and Turcell comes out of its shell, fainted.

The referee declares, "Turcell is unable to battle!"

Ash returns Turcell. Crate says, "You might have defeated Geodude, but Onix is a whole different story."

Ash nods. "As I can see." He looks towards Pikachu. "Are you ready Pikachu?"

He nods. "Pika." Pikachu leaps off of his shoulder and runs onto the field.

* * *

Team Rocket is hiding outside of the meteorite museum's main entrance. Meowth says, "If what that Gym Leader says is true, then there's at least a small fortune sitting in there."

James nods, "And what's a fortune that's not stolen by the master thieves of Team Rocket?"

Jessie asks, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

They sneak to the entrance. James tries to open it, but it won't open. "Shoot, it's locked."

Meowth pushes him out of the way. "Let me have a go at it." Meowth uses one of his claws to pick the lock. The door swings open. "Bingo."

Team Rocket goes in. As soon as they are in, however, an alarm goes off. Jessie asks in anger, "Which one of you dolts triggered the alarm!?"

James points towards Jessie's feet and says nervously, "I think that might have been you…"

Jessie looks down and gasps. Her foot has interrupted a laser security beam. "Uh oh…"

Out of another room, a Lunatone and Solrock float. James says, "It looks like those are the guards!"

Meowth tries to explain to the Pokémon, "We're sorry, we saw that the door was open, and decided to browse your wonderful collection of-"

He's cut off as Lunatone and Solrock attack them with a Lunar and Solar Beam. Team Rocket is sent flying out the door and into the air. They cry, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Wobbuffet comes out and adds, "Wobba wobba!"

* * *

Pikachu is standing in on all fours in a fighting stance, looking at Onix. Onix stares back.

Brock comments, "Ash isn't going to have an easy time with this one. That's a strong Onix, I can tell."

Brenda asks, "How?"

"Back when I ran the Pewter Gym, I had an Onix. It served as my primary Pokémon I used against challengers. That Onix is one of the strongest I've seen."

Brenda shouts, "Come on Ash, you can do this!"

Ash asks, "Alright Pikachu, let's do this!" Pikachu readies itself for an attack.

The scene freezes and the Narrator takes over, _And so Ash's battle for his first gym badge has begun. The numbers may be tied for now, but who knows what could happen! And with a potential rival watching his every move, how will Ash fare? There's only one way to find out, stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	12. Episode 12: For the Crater Good

Episode 12: For the Crater Good

_ When we last left Ash and Pikachu, they were locked in combat with Crate, the Horizoport City Gym Leader. Ash's Turcell had fought hard against Crate's Geodude and won, but then fell to his Onix. Now it's Pikachu's turn to battle. However, more is at stake in this battle than just Ash's first badge. His honor as trainer is too, as the mysterious trainer Ryu watches…_

Ash and Crate are looking at each other. Their Pokémon are also having a stare down. Ash asks, "Pikachu, are you ready?"

Pikachu turns and looks at him. "Chu!"

"Alright, get in close and hit it with an Iron Tail!"

Pikachu jumps into the air. "Chu, pika!"

Crate commands, "Onix counter again with Slam!" Onix spins around and uses its tail to smack Pikachu away.

"Onixxxx!"

"Pika!"

Crate continues, "Now use Dragon Breath!" Onix breathes a miasma of purplish energy.

"Get out of the way Pikachu!" Pikachu leaps to the side, barely avoiding the attack. Ash thinks, _That seems to be Crate's combination of choice. He uses Slam to knock away any attacks, and then uses Dragon Breath to inflict damage. That's also how he beat Turcell._

"Onix, Rock Tomb!" Onix summons several rocks that it sends at Pikachu.

Ash grins. _Two can play at that game. _He declares aloud, "Pikachu, knock the rocks away with Iron Tail!" Pikachu uses its Iron Tail to deflect each of the rocks that are sent at it. "Now move in for another Iron Tail!" Pikachu runs in, and since Onix was distracted because of its attack, Pikachu lays a hit, and jumps back.

Crate nods. "It would appear that you have already caught onto my strategy, and that you're using it against me."

"You can't keep a strategy that obvious under wraps for long."

"I guess I can't. Alright Onix, use another Dragon Breath!"

"Pikachu, counter it with Thunderbolt!" The attacks of the Pokémon collide, and cancel each other out. "Now use Quick Attack!"

"Rock Tomb Onix!" Onix summons another barrage of rocks and sends them at Pikachu, but with incredible bursts of speed, Pikachu avoids every one, and gets in close to Onix.

"Now switch to Iron Tail!"

"Slam Onix!" Onix attempts to use its tail to knock away Pikachu, but Pikachu manages to avoid it and delivers an Iron Tail to its forehead.

Onix cries out, "Onixxxxx!"

"Keep it up Pikachu!"

Pikachu readies itself for another attack, but Crate commands, "Underground now Onix!" Onix uses Dig to tunnel its way underground.

Pikachu's attack hits the ground where Onix just stood. Pikachu looks around. "Pika?"

Ash says, "Pay close attention Pikachu. There's no telling where it will surface."

Pikachu scans the surrounding area. Before it can get a good read of the field, Onix comes up underneath it, knocking it away. Pikachu lands hard on the ground. It slowly gets up, appearing to have taken a lot of damage.

"Now Onix, Slam!" As Pikachu is still getting up, Onix smacks it with its tail, knocking it back even further.

Pikachu cries in pain. "Pika!"

Ash cries, "Pikachu, are you okay!?" Pikachu struggles, but manages to get up. Pikachu nods at Ash. "Alright, in that case, let's use Quick Attack again!" Pikachu dashes towards Onix.

"We won't allow that one to get through again, back underground Onix!" Before Pikachu can get to Onix, it's gone.

Pikachu frantically looks around the field. Ash shouts, "I've got it Pikachu, keep up the Quick Attack, run around to random points on the field!"

Pikachu nods in understanding and begins its run. Onix comes out of the ground, but completely misses due to Pikachu's unpredictable movements.

"Quickly, get close to Onix, and then let's finish this off with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu turns around and dashes at Onix, who's still recovering from the missed Dig. Once Pikachu gets in close, he jumps up and uses Iron Tail. "Chu, pika!" Onix gets knocked down by the force of the attack. Onix faints.

The referee declares, "Onix is unable to battle!"

Ash and Pikachu cheer. Crate returns Onix. He compliments, "You did a good job defeating my Onix Ash. That took some innovation on both yours and Pikachu's part. However," he pulls out another Pokéball, "this next Pokémon is in a whole different league." He throws it. "Go, Meteorfight!"

Out of the Pokéball comes a Meteorfight. It's larger than Brock's. It declares, "Meteor!"

Brock exclaims, "You have a Meteorfight!?"

Crate laughs. "How else do you think I would have known what to do with yours? Besides, as an expert in meteorites, how could I not have one?"

Ash looks at Pikachu, who is panting, and appears damaged. "Pikachu, why don't you come back and take a break?" Pikachu runs back to Ash's side. Ash pulls out his last Pokéball. "Apprentichick, go!"

Apprentichick comes out flying. It declares, "Apprenti!"

Ash thinks, _Since Meteorfight is part Fighting-Type, that means that Apprentichick's Talon Grapple attack will be super effective._

Crate makes the first move. "Meteorfight, use Thunder Punch!" Meteorfight's fist gathers electrical energy and it moves in to attack.

"Use Aerial Maneuvers to get out of the way!" Apprentichick blurs out of its position, and reappears behind Meteorfight. "Now use Talon Grapple!" Apprentichick dives in and unleashes a series of blows with its talons. Several attacks hit, but Meteorfight gets out of the way before long.

"Hit it with Rock Blast!" Meteorfight creates several rocks and fires them like a cannon ball towards Apprentichick one after the other. Apprentichick manages to dodge the first few, but then the last two hit it, knocking it to the ground. "Now move in for another Thunder Punch!" Meteorfight lands the attack.

Apprentichick is thrown back. Ash commands, "Blow it off its feet, Gust!" Apprentichick recovers and begins to flap its wings at a rapid pace, creating a gust of wind which blows Meteorfight back.

"Move into a Meteor Slam!" While still in the air, Meteorfight pulls in its arms and legs and uses its ability to float in this form to hurl itself at Apprentichick, knocking it to the ground. "Now, rapid fire Comet Punch!" Meteorfight uncurls itself and its fists begin to glow. It charges at Apprentichick.

Ash counters, "Quickly, defend yourself with Talon Grapple!" Apprentichick quickly jumps up and goes at Meteorfight. The fast-paced attacks of the two collide. They continue to deliver rapid blows, but both perfectly counter the other's attacks.

"Switch into Thunder Punch!" Meteorfight pulls back its fists and gather electricity around it. The move catches Apprentichick by surprise and hits. Apprentichick falls to the ground and faints.

The referee declares, "Apprentichick is unable to battle!"

Ash clenches his fist and returns Apprentichick. He looks down to Pikachu, who still looks beat-up, but at least a little better than before. Pikachu looks back up at him and nods in understanding without Ash saying anything. Pikachu runs onto the field. Ash turns his hat around backwards and looks towards Crate with determination. "Let's finish this."

Crate nods. "Yes, let's. Meteorfight, use Rock Blast!" Meteorfight generates several rocks and fires them off towards Pikachu.

"Quick Attack Pikachu!" Pikachu dashes towards Meteorfight, avoiding each of the rocks. Pikachu then tackles Meteorfight, knocking down on its back.

"Get up and go in for a Meteor Slam!" It pulls its limbs in again and floats into the air. Once it's above Pikachu, it slams down, impacting Pikachu.

Pikachu cries in pain, "Pika!"

Ash shouts, "Get it off of you with Iron Tail!"

"Chu, pika!" Pikachu manages to whip its tail around and hit Meteorfight off of it.

"Now use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu dashes towards Meteorfight. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika pikachu!" Pikachu rams into Meteorfight.

"Comet Punch Meteorfight!" Meteorfight quickly recovers and throws punches rapidly, hitting Pikachu several times. "Now Meteor Slam!" Meteorfight goes into a Meteor Slam, and once again hits Pikachu. After landing, it gets off Pikachu, who seems down for the count.

Brock and Brenda gasp. Brenda says, "Oh no, Ash lost…"

The referee begins to hold up his flag and say, "Pikachu is-"

Ash interrupts, "Wait just a second. Something tells me Pikachu isn't done yet."

Sure enough, Pikachu is struggling to get up. It looks badly damaged, but still able to fight.

Crate laughs. "I must admit, I've never seen a Pokémon with enough willpower to keep on going after a blow like that. So you want to continue the battle?"

Ash nods, "You bet, right Pikachu?"

"Pika."

Brock looks at Brenda. "Never count Ash and Pikachu out so fast. Those two can be full of surprises."

Ash says, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaachuuuuu!" Pikachu launches a quick electric attack that Meteorfight us unable to avoid, however it seems to do little damage.

"Now use Iron Tail!" Pikachu switches to Iron Tail and slams its tail down on Meteorfight.

Crate commands, "Quickly, use Comet Punch while it's still close!" Meteorfight recovers and uses Comet Punch, knocking Pikachu into the air.

Ash seems to have an idea. "Pikachu, straight down with Iron Tail, and then use your tail to bounce back up!" Pikachu guides its fall so it lands on top of Meteorfight. It does as Ash instructed and bounces even higher than it was before. "Now go straight down with a final Volt Tackle!" Pikachu points its head back down and prepares its attack.

Crate commands, "And you go up with Meteor Slam!" Meteorfight curls up and floats straight up into the air.

The two Pokémon collide in midair, causing an explosion. Both Pokémon are thrown in different directions. Both are on the ground and look extremely damaged. Simultaneously, both try to get up. Within a few moments, Meteorfight falls back down, leaving Pikachu as the last Pokémon standing.

The referee holds up his flag. "Meteorfight is unable to battle, Ash the challenger wins!"

Crate returns Meteorfight and walks across the field to Ash. "That was a great battle Ash. I know that I already told you, but you and your Pokémon have willpower like I've never seen before. You definitely deserve this." Crate holds out the same badge that he gave Ryu earlier. "This Meteorite Badge proves that you have achieved victory at the Horizoport Gym."

Ash takes the badge and holds it up in the air in his traditional pose. "Yeah, I just got the Meteorite Badge!"

Pikachu, Turcell, and Apprentichick all join in, shouting, "Pik pikachu!" "Turcell!" and "Apprenti!" all at the same time.

Ash looks at Crate and says, "Thank you. This is my first Tenno gym badge." Ash looks over and sees Ryu getting up to leave. Ash calls, "Hey, aren't you forgetting something!?"

Ryu groans. "I saw you battle. You did nothing to impress me. I see no need to battle you."

Ash asks, "Why don't you just humor me then?"

"Fine. Meet me at the battlefield behind the Pokémon Center in three hours. I'll be there waiting for you. You better not waste my time."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon uses an up-tempo song and dance to drive away the bird Pokémon that prey on its flower seeds.**

* * *

A Pokémon Center chime sounds. Ash is standing at a counter in the Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy walks in holding a tray with two Pokéballs and Pikachu on it. She sets it down in front of Ash. "Your Pokémon are all better."

"Thank you Nurse Joy." Pikachu leaps onto Ash's shoulder and Ash grabs his Pokéballs.

Ash walks away towards a nearby table where Brock and Brenda are sitting. Brenda is eating some food and Brock is staring off in the direction of Nurse Joy. Ash joins them. Brenda asks, "It looks like something's on your mind Ash. What's wrong?"

Ash looks down. "It's that Ryu guy. I just can't lose to him. If I do, then that only serves to validate his point."

"Do you think that he's right about Pokémon other than Dragon-Types?"

Ash shakes his head. "No, of course not."

"Then don't worry about. Whether you win or not, you still can believe in whatever you want to believe in. Right Brock?" She waits a few moments, but there's no reply. "Brock?" She turns to Brock who is still staring into the distance.

He murmurs to himself, "I wonder if I try asking her to go out with me again she'd say yes."

His Meteorfight comes out of its Pokéball and holds up its fist. "Meteor…"

Brock freezes up and gulps.

Brenda asks, "Brock did you hear me?"

"Oh, yeah…of course."

Brenda turns back to Ash. "You see, even Brock agrees with me."

Ash nods. "You're right. I should stop worrying about it." He suddenly gets up. "Besides, the battle hasn't even happened yet. No one's saying I'm going to lose it."

Brock nods. "That's right Ash."

* * *

**It's Maractus!**

* * *

Ash is now out at the battlefield. Across from him is Ryu. Ash declares, "I won't lose to you. I'm going to prove that all types of Pokémon are powerful."

Ryu makes a motion with his hand to show he doesn't care. "Whatever. The battle will be composed of three individual one on one matches, no substitutions, best out of three wins."

Ash nods. "That works for me."

Brock steps forward. "I could act as the ref for this battle."

Ryu responds, "That's really not necessary, but whatever, knock yourself out."

Brock is taken aback for a moment, but he quickly takes his place in the middle of the side of the field.

Ryu takes a Pokéball of his belt. "Galacerta, to battle!" The lizard covered with the pattern of the night sky appears before Ryu.

Ash grabs one his Pokéballs. "Apprentichick, I chose you!"

Behind a nearby bush, Team Rocket is hiding. James observes, "It looks like the Twerp's in a battle with someone."

Jessie scoffs, "He just got done with his gym battle. Is all that Twerp can think about battling?"

Meowth says, "Maybe so, but I suggest that we sit here and stay low. Maybe the chance will present itself where we can swipe Pikachu."

Jessie and James nod. James says, "I like that type of thinking."

Ryu states, "Take the first move, you'll need it."

"Don't mind if I do! Apprentichick use Wing Attack!" Apprentichick dives in towards the opposing Pokémon, wings glowing white.

As if he doesn't care, Ryu calmly commands, "Galacerta, use Star Daze."

"Certa!" Galacerta creates an array of sparkles of light around it and sends them at Apprentichick, knocking it back.

"Apprenti!"

Ash shouts, "Get back in there and use Talon Grapple!" Apprentichick recovers quickly and dives back at Galacerta, brandishing its talons.

Ryu sighs. "Dragon Claw." Galacerta stands on its hind legs and claws at Apprentichick, knocking it back once more.

Ash looks annoyed. "Get behind it with Aerial Maneuvers and try Talon Grapple again!" In a sudden burst of speed, Apprentichick disappears. It then reappears behind Galacerta and dives in again.

"Get rid of it with Dragon Tail." Galacerta's tail glows green and without even turning around it smacks Apprentichick back. Apprentichick falls to the ground, fainted.

Brenda's eyes go wide. "It was over…just like that…"

Brock is also shocked. After a few moments of hesitation he declares, "Apprentichick is unable to battle. This round goes to Ryu."

Team Rocket looks surprised as well. James asks, "Is it just me, or did that guy just beat the Twerp like it was nothing at all?"

Meowth responds, "No need to get your eyes checked, I saw it too."

Ash returns Apprentichick. He looks upset, but he says to the Pokéball, "Don't worry, you did the best you could."

Ryu returns Galacerta. "I hope the rest of your Pokémon aren't that pathetic."

"You're going to take back those words!" He pulls out another Pokéball. "Turcell, I choose you!"

Ryu also tosses a Pokéball. "Gible, to battle!"

Team Rocket looks angry. Jessie says, "That's that no good Turcell that trapped us in the cave and destroyed out perfect mech twice."

James sighs. "It figures that it's hanging out with the Twerp now.

Meowth comments, "Those two deserve each other."

Wobbuffet joins them. "Wobbuffet!"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Let's see what Ash is up against."

"Gible, the Land Shark Pokémon and a Dragon and Ground Combo Type. Gible can swim through sand as if it were water. If it comes across a rock in its way, it will use its strong jaws to break through it. Evolves into Gabite at level 24."

Ryu commands, "Use Draco Fang." Gible's teeth grow larger and glow purple, and then it leaps towards Turcell.

"Defend yourself Turcell, Withdraw!" Turcell hides in its shell and Gible harmlessly bites down on its exterior. "Great, now get out and use Molten Slag!"

Turcell pops only its head out and turns it to face Gible. "Tur cell!" It spits a molten globule at Gible.

The attack hits and Gible releases its hold of Turcell. Brenda cheers, "Yeah! That attack worked!"

Ryu, who seems just a little more invested, but not much, commands, "Rock Smash." Gible leaps up and drops towards Turcell with glowing arms.

"Counter with Rapid Spin!" Turcell pulls into its shell and rotates rapidly towards Gible. The two attacks hit each other and send both Pokémon flying backwards.

"Gible, get up and use Dig." Gible manages to recover and digs into the ground.

Ash thinks, _Little does he know that I just found out a way to counter Dig. _Ash thinks back to Pikachu's battle with Onix and how it used Quick Attack to run randomly around the field. "Use Rapid Spin to move around the field at random!"

"Cell!" Turcell returns to its shell and begins to spin once more. This time it moves around the field in an unpredictable manner.

Ryu grimaces. "Come back up only when you're sure that you can hit it."

After a few moments, Gible comes back up, but just misses Turcell. Turcell then proceeds to change its course and rams into Gible.

Ash cheers, "Great job, now let's give it another Molten Slag!" Turcell quickly emerges from its shell and hits Gible with another molten attack. This knocks out Gible.

Brock declares, "Gible is unable to battle! This round goes to Ash. We currently have a tie; winner of the next round takes the battle."

Ryu returns Gible. As he pockets the Pokéball he states, "Pitiful."

Ash congratulates, "Great job Turcell."

Turcell smiles. "Tur." It's returned to its Pokéball.

Ash looks towards Ryu. "It looks like it all comes down to this."

"So it does." He looks to the Dratini draped around his shoulders. "It's your turn." He extends his arm and Dratini slithers down it and onto the ground.

Ash looks to Pikachu on his shoulder. "I'm counting on you buddy."

"Pik." Pikachu jumps onto the ground and then runs onto the field.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuuu!"

Ryu commands, "Thunderbolt as well."

The two Pokémon launch a bolt of electricity each that collide with each other mid field. The attacks are equally matched.

Ryu immediately commands, "Switch into Draconic Fire."

"Draaa tiniiii!" Dratini breathes a breath of red and purple fire at Pikachu.

"Dodge it Pikachu!" Pikachu attempts to dodge, but fails, the attack still hits.

Ryu gives a minor grin of content.

Ash doesn't hesitate. "Electro Ball!" As the fire's clearing, Pikachu's ball of electricity comes out of the clearing smoke and hits Dratini.

Dratini cries out "Tiniiii!"

"Now use Iron Tail!"

Ryu, now even more invested in the battle, declares "Counter with Aqua Tail!"

"Chu pika!"

"Tini dra!"

The two Pokémon's tails collide, and force each of them back.

"Quick Attack Pikachu!"

"Agility Dratini!"

Now Pikachu and Dratini dash towards each other at high speeds and collide once more at the center of the field, and bounce off of each other again.

Brock thinks, _Wow, those two seem evenly matched. I'm not sure I've ever seen such a balanced battle._

"Thunderbolt Dratini!"

"Dodge it Pikachu, and use a Thunderbolt of your own!" Pikachu jumps out of the way and launches a Thunderbolt, but Dratini manages to dodge.

Jessie observes, "It looks like the Twerp's Pikachu has met its match."

Meowth nods. "Yeah, forget Pikachu, we need to get that Dratini."

James asks, "How do you plan to do that?"

Meowth begins to explain, "It's simple. We'll just-"

Meowth is interrupted as a stray Thunderbolt from the battle hits them, causing them to blast off. They all shout, "No fair, we didn't even do anything yet!"

"Wobba wobba!"

The battle continues, no one noticing Team Rocket. Ryu, now fully interested in the battle, shouts, "Draconic Fire!"

Ash counters, "Out of the way with Quick Attack, then use Iron Tail!" Pikacu gets out of the way and goes in for an Iron Tail.

"Stop it with Aqua Tail again!" Once more the two tail attacks hit. Both Pokémon appear worn out and beat-up.

Ash declares, "We need to finish this once and for all! It's all or nothing Pikachu, use Volt Tackle!" Pikachu begins to dash towards Dratini and becomes cloaked in electricity.

Ryu shouts, "And we'll finish this with Dragon Rush!" Dratini floats into air and becomes covered in a green light that takes the form of a dragon. It moves in towards Pikachu.

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika…!"

"Draaaaaaa…!"

"Chu!"

"Tini!"

The two Pokémon collide, creating a massive explosion. The scene freezes. _A dramatic battle between two combatants has reached its climax, but_ _who will win? Ash or Ryu? Pikachu or Dratini? Our hero or his new rival? Find out when the journey continues…_

**To Be Continued…**


	13. Episode 13: The Rival of my Rival?

Episode 13: The Rival of my Rival!?

_An exhilarating battle! Upon winning his Meteor Badge from the Horizoport Gym, Ash challenged the Dragon-Type trainer Ryu to a battle. After a heated exchange of attacks between their other Pokémon, the battle comes down to Pikachu and Dratini. Let's find out who wins…_

A giant explosion from the collision of Volt Tackle and Dragon Rush covers the battlefield. Ash and Ryu lean in to try to see what happened. Brock thinks, _There's no way that both Pokémon are making it out of there. Whoever's left standing when the smoke clears wins._

The smoke clears. An incredibly beat-up looking Pikachu and Dratini stand in pain on either side. Everyone gasps. After a few moments, both Pokémon fall.

After the initial shock passes, Brock declares, "We have a double knockout, this match is a tie!"

Ash and Ryu give each other an upset look. They both walk out onto the field and scoop up their respective Pokémon in their arms. They continue to look at each other.

Suddenly someone clapping can be heard. Ash and Ryu look up to the spectator area and see Crate walking down the stairs clapping. He says, "I hope you don't mind my intrusion. I happened to be walking by when I heard your battle going on. I thought I'd take a look. That was some exhilarating battling."

Ryu walks past him carrying Dratini and brushes it off as, "It was okay." He walks out of sight.

Ash looks aggravated. Crate walks up to him and comments, "Don't let him get to you. You should actually be taking what he said as a compliment. He didn't even give me that much." He beckons Ash forward. "Now come on, why don't we get your Pokémon to the Pokémon Center?"

* * *

After the Pokémon Center chime goes off, Nurse Joy walks out with Ash's Pokéballs and Pikachu on a tray. Pikachu looks healthy and healed. She sets the Pokémon on the counter in front of Ash and says, "Your Pokémon are healed once again. You must have been in one tough battle to have to come back so soon."

Pikachu leaps onto Ash's shoulder and Ash retrieves his Pokéballs. He nods. "Yeah, it was pretty tough." Ash walks to the other side of the room where Brock and Brenda are sitting with Crate. He joins them. Ash still appears upset.

Brock says, "Come on Ash, you can't let that battle weigh so heavily on you."

Brenda adds, "Besides, he didn't even manage to beat you."

Ash responds, "I know, but it was still close. I can't believe I came that close to losing and validating his point of view."

Brock shakes his head. "Even if you had lost, that doesn't mean that Ryu was right. Everyone has their own opinion on Pokémon, and no single one is right."

Crate states, "Hey, have I ever told you guys why I became a meteorite hunter?"

Brenda nods. "Yeah, you said that you love the idea of something that came from beyond this world."

Crate nods. "That's why I love meteorites, but it's not necessarily why I became a meteorite hunter. You see, back when I was a child, I was exploring the western area of Tenno Minor. There I stumbled upon a cave. I wandered into this cave and got lost. After wandering for a long time, I found myself face-to-face with a large Pokémon. The Pokémon seemed to be made of rocks, and was unlike any I've seen before or since. I think that what I saw was a Legendary Pokémon." At this mention Ash perks up and gives his full attention. "Anyways, after seeing this Pokémon for only a split second, I fell unconscious. When I woke back up I found myself outside of the cave. I'll never know for sure what happened for sure, but I'm willing to bet that that Pokémon I saw brought me out. The first thing I noticed when I stood up was a fist-sized rock on the ground next to me. Something about that rock fascinated me and I kept it. I soon found out that not only was it a meteorite, but it was a Meteoric Shard."

Brock observes, "That's that big Meteoric Shard that was in the center of your display."

Crate nods. "The very same one. I think that the Pokémon I saw left it for me as a kind of gift. The point of my story though is that no one ever believed. No one believed that I saw a Pokémon that day, and they all thought I had just found the Meteoric Shard by luck." He looks at Ash. "Just as Ryu told you that you were wrong, everyone I knew told me that I was wrong. I never let it get to me. I never cared what others thought, I know what I saw, and it inspired the lifelong love of meteorites that I possess."

Ash nods, understanding the purpose of Crate's story. He's about to say something as a somewhat distant alarm is suddenly heard. He exclaims, "What's that?!"

Crate's eyes go wide. "That's the alarm at my museum! Someone's broken in!" The group all gets up and run out.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon is so timid, it can't move if it isn't with a swarm of others. It conveys its feelings with scent.**

* * *

The group runs up to the stairs of the front door of the museum. The alarm can still be heard and the doors are broken down. They run up the steps and into the museum. Inside the Lunatone and Solrock that are used as guards are knocked out and lying on the ground. In the center of the room are Cosmo and four Team Planetary grunts. Crate looks surprised. He shouts, "I know you!"

At the same time, Ash steps forward and demands, "Cosmo, you're going to give back that Pokémon you stole!"

Ash and Crate look at each other and say at once, "Wait, you know him?"

Cosmo steps forward. "My, my, aren't I the popular one?"

Crate demands, "I've already told you that I'm not selling my Meteoric Shards! What are you doing here!?"

"I have not come to purchase your Meteoric Shards…I have come to take them."

Crate goes wide-eyed with surprise. "But, you're a member of Team Planetary, why would you steal my property?"

"Because Team Planetary requires them to for the greater good of humanity."

Ash shouts, "Is that how you justified stealing Sporout!?"

"I don't like the term stealing. I prefer…appropriating."

Brenda asks, "So why are you trying to steal the Meteoric Shards? What's this 'greater good' you speak of?"

Cosmo looks down to the shards and asks, "Tell me, what do you know of the story of the Cosmic Architect?"

Crate says, "That's a fairy tale. What does it have to do with this?"

Ash asks, "Who's the Cosmic Architect?"

Cosmo looks back up. "It is a story intertwined with that of the Meteoric Shards. Billions of years ago the universe was created when the Original One created Time and Space. That's where the Sinnoh Time-Space Legend leaves off. However, that is not the entire story. This newly created universe was empty, a void of formless space debris. There wasn't a star, planet, or moon to speak of. The Original One set out to fix this. With his infinite power he created an army of divine beings with power comparable to his own. These beings were the Cosmic Architects. Each Cosmic Architect traveled to a different region of the newly created universe and using their powers of creation, and servants of their own, constructed star systems, such as our own Solar System, including the stars, planets and moons within them."

Crate refutes, "That's all just a myth. Nothing about it is fact."

"And why should that be? This myth is connected to that of the Sinnoh Time-Space Legend, and that has recently proven to be true." He beckons to the Meteoric Shards. "Besides, aren't these all the evidence you need? They are embedded with energy from the creation of the Solar System; does that not sound like proof to you?"

"It's going to take more than just that to prove something like that actually happened."

Cosmo slowly shakes his head. "I could stand here and debate the history of our Solar System all day, but I really must be off." He looks back to the grunts and snaps his fingers. "Let's go."

One grunt smashes the glass case around the Meteoric Shards and throws them in a bag. Then all of the grunts throw a Pokéball into the air. They all release the same Pokémon. It appears to be a loose amalgamation of glowing orange and blue gases drawn into a somewhat round shape with a face on it. Two wisps of this gaseous material form into arms and hands. It floats above the ground and is a couple of feet tall. The grunts all commands at once, "Flash!" The room lights up with a harsh bright light. By the time is subsides, Team Planetary has left.

Ash asks, "Who was that Pokémon?" and takes out his Pokédex.

"Protostar, the Young Star Pokémon and a Fire and Light Combo-Type. Protostar form when high concentrations of gases come together and form into a single body. It emits a faint light that grows brighter the larger and older it gets. Protostar evolves into Astar at level 32."

Crate says, "Come one, we've got to go after them!" They run outside.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket seems to have been watching the entire encounter through a window. Jessie complains, "No fair, those copycats stole our meteorites!"

James shouts, "First they steal our style, then they steal our steal!? Outrageous!"

Mime Jr. copies all of his angry movements as it shouts "Mime mime mime!"

Meowth, who seems oddly calm, states, "Chill guys, this is perfect."

Jessie demands, "And in what world is this situation considered perfect?"

"Just think about it this way, our problem was getting past the security. They may be good for nothing copycats, but they did us a favor by getting those Meteoric Shards away from any security systems. Now we've just got to go and take it from them instead."

James and Mime Jr. nod. "I see your point." He suddenly stands up and strikes a determined pose along with Mime Jr. "Let's do it!"

"Mime mime!"

* * *

**It's Ledyba!**

* * *

Ash, Crate, and the others are outside the museum and looking around for a glimpse of Team Planetary. A voice calls, "Crate, I heard the alarms, what happened!?" An Officer Jenny, the same as seen in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, runs towards them.

Brock dashes towards Jenny and proclaims, "Oh Officer, there has been a theft…a theft of my heart, and I'm afraid that you my beautiful are the culprit!"

Jenny is confused. "Excuse me?"

Meteorfight appears and delivers a well-timed uppercut to Brock's chin.

Crate quickly explains, "A group of thieves broke into my museum and stole my Meteoric Shards. They seemed to be phonies masquerading as members of Team Planetary."

Jenny nods. "Alright, I'll order a police perimeter around the city. No one will get in or out." She runs off saying something into her radio.

Crate says, "We need to find those thieves, I've already told you why those Meteoric Shards, especially the big one, are important to me."

Ash says, "Don't worry, we can help you." Ash throws a Pokéball into the air and Apprentichick comes out. "Apprentichick, I need you to search the city for four suspicious figures in uniforms."

"Aprenti!" Apprentichick flies off.

Brenda exclaims, "Glitterfly can help too!" She lets out Glitterfly and gives it similar instructions. Glitterfly flies off in the opposite direction.

Ash states, "Don't worry Crate, we'll get them."

* * *

Cosmo, followed by the four grunts, makes his way behind a building. Standing there is a tall man with jet-black hair. He wears a suit similar to the grunts', but more streamlined and missing the cap. Around his left upper arm and leg is a red stripe. The grunts immediately snap to attention. Cosmo, on the other hand, doesn't seem to care as much. The man says with a commanding voice, "Cosmo, you've attracted too much attention."

Cosmo responds, "I got your Meteoric Shards Sirius, there was no other way."

"That's Commander Sirius to you. You may be the heir apparent to Team Planetary, but until the time comes for you to take that position you're still a child, and I still outrank you."

Cosmo grunts. "Sorry _sir._"

"Your actions have alerted the police, they've set up a perimeter around the city. There's no way that we're getting out of here unnoticed." Before Cosmo can object, he continues, "And don't forget, Team Planetary's true motives must remain hidden. The people of Tenno will still listen to us right now. We can't risk being exposed, if we are, despite the fact that we are trying to help humanity, they will betray us. We must keep our true operations secret for the good of the people."

Cosmo reluctantly nods. "Right, the good of the people."

"Now, we need a way out of here that will avoid the police blockade. Any ideas?"

Cosmo shakes his head. "My best suggestion is that we wait it out. They'll have to give up the search eventually."

Sirius nods. "That could be doable. We'll just have to find a place to hide. That shouldn't be too hard. I'll send a message to HQ and see if they can work out some sort of extraction plan. Now come on," he beckons them to move, "let's get out of here."

A voice from behind them suddenly says, "People like you disgust me." The Team Planetary group turns around to find Ryu and Dratini standing there.

Sirius demands, "Who are you?"

"My name does not matter. What matters is that you are nothing but thieves. The police think that you are pretending to be part of Team Planetary. They think that the precious benefactors of mankind would never do such a thing. But I know better. I know that you are just as real as they come. Now surrender yourselves."

Cosmo asks, "Or what?"

Ryu takes a step forward. "I was hoping you would ask that." He points forward and declares, "Go Dratini!" Dratini leaps off of his shoulders and land in front of him.

"Tini!"

The grunts all prepare their Pokéballs. Cosmo steps forward and says, "Leave this to me." He tosses a Pokéball.

On the other side of the building Apprentichick flies by. It stops when it sees an explosion of forces coming from behind the building. It turns around and flies off in the opposite direction.

* * *

Ash, Crate, Brock, and Brenda are gathered on a sidewalk. Glitterfly floats next to Brenda. Brenda says, "Thank you for trying Glitterfly." She returns it to its ball.

Just then Apprentichick flies down crying, "Apprentiiiiiichick!"

Ash asks, "Did you find something Apprentichick?"

It nods. "Chick."

"Show us the way then!" Apprentichick flies off and they follow.

* * *

The group finds themselves running into a battle between Ryu and Cosmo. Ryu is commanding Dratini while Cosmo has a new Pokémon. It is reminiscent of Sporout, but larger and more matured. The fiddlehead on its head has now grown into a full-fledged fern plant, and the ferns on its back have grown larger than over and now wrap around its body.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Buffern, the Shield Fern Pokémon, and a Grass and Ground Combo-Type. Now that the special symbiotic ferns on its back have fully developed, Buffern can use them as a shield strong enough to deflect bullets. Buffern evolves from Sporout at level 16 and into Ferntress at level 32."

Ash exclaims, "The Sporout he stole evolved into Buffern!"

Ryu shouts, "Thunderbolt Dratini!"

Cosmo returns, "Protect yourself with Foliage Fortress!" The ferns on Buffern's back glow green and grow, creating a barrier around itself. The barrier blocks the Thunderbolt.

Crate demands, "Hand over those meteorites you stole!"

Cosmo, only just now noticing their approach, looks at him and grins. "I'm sorry, do you mean this?" He holds out the largest Meteoric Shard. He snaps his fingers and the grunts move all throw their Pokéballs, releasing the Protostar from before. He then returns his attention to the battle. "Razor Leaf Buffern!"

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Crate each throw a Pokéball, releasing Turcell, Blissey, Kappaqua, and Meteorfight respectively. They each go in for a fight.

Ash commands, "Ember!" Turcell launches its fiery attack at a Protostar, knocking it back.

Brock shouts, "Use Strength!" Blissey rushes at another Protostar.

Benda declares, "Water Gun, go!" Kappaqua douses its Protostar with water.

Crate finishes, "Thunder Punch!" Meteorfight charges at the last Protostar with an electrified fist.

The Protostar all fight back with various attacks.

Ryu commands, "Dratini, use Dragon Rush!" Dratini becomes cloaked in green energy and it flies towards Buffern.

"Counter with Foliage Fortress!" Buffern protects itself again, causing Dratini to bounce off. "Now use Body Slam!" Buffern charges into Dratini knocking it back further.

Cosmo is still holding onto the Meteoric Shard in one hand. A mechanical hand suddenly comes out of the air and grabs it from him. Everyone in the vicinity notices, and all look up to see Team Rocket's balloon descending.

Cosmo groans, "Oh great, not these losers…"

Sirius, who has been watching most of this transpire, demands, "Who are you!?"

Jessie begins, "Prepare for trouble, first you stole our style!"

James picks up, "Make it double, because then you stole our steal!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Brenda shouts, "Team Rocket, can't you see that we're busy!?"

Jessie replies, "Exactly the reason we've decided to come in and take this gem of a meteorite now."

Crate shouts, "Put that down now! It's more valuable than you could imagine!"

Meowth grins. "That's why we're taking it! Silly twerps!"

Ash steps forward. "Hand it over Team Rocket!"

James laughs. "Never, this little rock is going to make us rich!"

Ash looks to Pikachu. "Use-"  
He's cut off by Cosmo commanding, "Buffern, get rid of them." Buffern launches a Razor Leaf that slices through Team Rocket's balloon, causing them fall quickly, but only after Meowth drops the Meteoric Shard. Ash leaps up and catches it.

The Grunts then tell their Pokémon to attack, and each one launches a light-based attack at Team Rocket, causing them to explode and fly straight into the sky.

As they're flying off, Jessie is angry. "Those copycats got us again!"

James adds, "First they steal our meteorites, then they attack us!? The nerve!"

Meowth sighs. "And now it looks like we're the meteorites…"

They all declare, "Team Rocket's plummeting down to Earth again!" as they create a streak and disappear from sight.

Back at the ground a sound is suddenly heard. Up above them a hovercraft is lowering down. Sirius commands, "Extract, now!"

Cosmo looks at Ash holding the Meteoric Shard. "We can't go yet, he has the Shard!"

"I said it's time to extract! We still have the others; let's get out of here while we can!" A rope ladder is lowered down and the grunts recall their Pokémon and leap on to it. Sirius follows them. "Now Cosmo!"

Sirius looks to Ash, and then reluctantly recalls Buffern and also grabs a hold of the ladder.

Ash shouts, "I won't let you get away that easily this time! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Ryu adds, "You too Dratini!" Pikachu and Dratini both launch a Thunderbolt, but the hovercraft has moved too far away for them to hit.

Ash shouts, "Darn it!" He turns to face Crate and hands him the meteorite. "I'm sorry I let them get away Crate."

Crate takes the shard. "It's not your fault Ash." He looks at it and adds, "Besides, this one Meteoric Shard is more valuable to me than the rest of my museum. At least we got this one back."

Ash looks at Ryu. "And what were you doing?"

Dratini slithers back up to Ryu's shoulders and he turns around to leave. He stops for just a moment and says, "You are not the only enemy of Team Planetary." He walks away.

* * *

Crate places the Meteoric Shard back in the broken display case. Around him are Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Officer Jenny. Crate looks around at the destroyed room. He sighs. Officer Jenny says, "Don't worry; I'll have all units keeping watch for these thieves. We'll get them."

Crate says, "Do not worry about me. All this does is give me all the more reason to get back out onto the field and hunt for more meteorites."

Brock says, "Yeah, that's the spirit."

Crate looks at the group. "I really must thank you three for all your help. Without you, who knows how much worse this could have turned out?"

They smile. Brenda jokes, "I guess it's a good thing that we were here."

Ash looks out the window. Crate asks, "I can tell you have something on your mind Ash. What's wrong?"

"It's that Cosmo guy. That's twice now I haven't been able to stop him."

Brock looks at him. "Ash, it's not your job to stop Cosmo."

Brenda adds, "Yeah, that's what the police are for."

Ash sighs. "You're right. But if I ever see Cosmo again, I won't let him get away."

Brenda states, "Let's hope we don't see him again."

_With their second run in with Team Planetary behind them, will Ash ever be the same? And what does Ryu have against Team Planetary? What are Team Planetary's true goals? There are so many questions, and only one way to find the answers. Stay tuned…_

**To Be Continued…**


	14. Episode 14: From Alpha to Omega

**This episode is dedicated to the release of Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire.**

Episode 14: From Alpha to Omega

A hover-boat docks at the Horizoport Wharf. A voice over a loudspeaker declares, "Hover-boat number three, nonstop trip from Slateport City to Horizoport City is now docking. Thank you for choosing the Wailord Express, and have a nice day."

From behind a passenger is seen disembarking. He has white-blue hair and wears a suit. Any further features cannot be seen from behind. He gets off the ramp and walks down a street. People seem to be surprised to see him, as they gasp and look at him with awe. He passes by a stand on the side of the road.

The stand is run by three people, a woman with red hair, a man with blue hair, and another short man. The woman calls, "Hey, you! Could I interest you in buying an authentic Tennoen Meteorite?"

The man looks at them and stops to think for a moment. He finally says, "I have an appointment to keep, I'll have to stop by here later."

The blue-haired man says, "We look forward to conducting business with you."

The man nods and turns to walk away. He continues to walk through the city. He eventually approaches Crate's meteorite museum. It appears to be in the process of being fixed up from the Team Planetary attack. He steps up to the building and someone walks out to greet him. It's the referee from Ash's gym battle. He says, "Ah, Mr. Stone, I'm glad you made it. I'll show you to Crate right away."

The view of the man changes, revealing him to be none other than Steven Stone. He says, "Thank you. I'm glad to be in the Tenno Region at long last."

* * *

_After an eventful day full of battles with Gym Leaders, rivals, and criminal organizations, our heroes are finally ready to depart from Horizoport City._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are talking with Crate. Crate asks, "Ash, now that you've earned my badge, have you considered where you're heading next?"

Ash shakes his head. "In all honesty, I don't know much about the Tenno Region. I'm still new here."

Crate nods. "Alright, in that case I'd suggest that you take a ferry across the Tenno Straight and go to Kanaveral City. It's the largest city in the Tenno Region and has one of the most famous of is gyms."

Brenda's face lights up. "Kanaveral City!? It's always been my dream to go there."

Brock is looking at a map. "It's literally the closest city to us right now."

Ash says, "Alright, then it's settled. Our next stop will be Kanaveral City."

The referee walks into the room. "Excuse me Crate, Mr. Stone has just arrived."

Steven walks into the room. Ash looks surprised. "Steven Stone!?"

Steven smiles with recognition. "Ah, well if it isn't Ash and Brock. It's been a long time."

Crate smiles. "So I see you already know each other."

Ash nods. "Yeah, we met back at Dewford Island in the Hoenn Region. He helped us get out of a cave we got lost in."

Steven asks, "And how are May and Max?"

Brock answers, "We haven't actually seen them in a while, but last time we saw them they were great."

"Good to hear."

Brenda looks confused. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

Crate looks surprised. "You've never heard of Steven Stone, Champion of the Hoenn League?"

Now Ash looks surprised. "Wait a second, Champion?" He looks at Steven. "You never told us that you were the Champion!"

Steven chuckles. "I guess that it never crossed my mind. Not to mention you never asked."

Brock asks, "So what brings you all the way to the Tenno Region?"

"Ah yes. As I'm sure you remember, I am a collector of rare rocks and minerals from around the world. I'd love to collect one special rock from every region. Tenno is known for its grand meteorite specimens, so I decided that I had to have one. So I contacted Tenno's greatest meteorite hunter and contracted him to find me a grand sample." He looks at Crate. "I presume you found what I was looking for?"

Crate nods. "And I must say it is one of the finest specimens I've ever seen. I'm jealous that you get to take this one with you. Let me go and get it." He walks into another room. A few moments later he reappears holding a large black meteorite, about the size of a basketball.

Steven whistles. "She's a beauty alright. I'll have your payment sent to you right away." He takes the meteorite from Crate and turns to leave. Before he does, he asks, "Ash, Brock, why don't you and your friend walk with me back to the boat? I'd love to have a chance to catch up with you."

Ash nods. "Sure thing."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon is said to have lived for hundreds of millions of years in the earth's ozone layer, above the clouds. Its existence had been completely unknown because it lived so high in the sky.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Steven are walking down the street. Steven still carries his meteorite. Steven is in the middle of saying, "Yes, I watched the Ever Grande Conference closely. I was very entertained watching you in particular. I wouldn't be upset. Top Eight is nothing to complain about. Besides, that Tyson guy was pretty strong."

Ash nods. "Yeah, and I've done better since then. "I got Top Four at the Sinnoh League."

"Ah, did you really?"

They walk by the stand that was selling the meteorites. The meteorite in Steven's hand suddenly begins to vibrate rapidly. Steven's eyes go wide in surprise.

Brenda exclaims, "What's happening!?"

The meteorite floats out of Steven's hands and into the air. People gasp and point at the floating meteorite. The shaking intensifies. Pieces of it begin to crumble off. Inside is revealed to be a smooth, round, purple gem. It begins to glow intensely. There is suddenly a flash of light. When the light recedes, floating where the gem was is now a Deoxys.

Everyone is surprised. Ash says with shock, "It's…a Deoxys…"

Brenda asks, "What's a Deoxys?"

She pulls out her Pokédex. "Deoxys, the DNA Pokémon and a Psychic-Type. Deoxys originated in outer space, when an alien virus was exposed to high-energy radiation. It can alter its own molecular structure at will, allowing it to change it abilities. Deoxys does not evolve."

Deoxys emits a loud, piercing shriek and suddenly an aurora appears in the sky around it. It takes a survey of the area and then transforms into its Speed Form. It flies away at high speeds.

Steven surmises, "That meteorite must have contained a Deoxys in it! I can't believe it. Come on, we have to see where it's going!" He runs off following the Deoxys, with Ash, Brock, and Brenda following him.

The three people running the meteorite stand look at each other and dive down beneath their counter. The red-haired one asks, "Did you two see what I just saw?"

The short one answers, "Yeah Jessie, that was a Deoxys. You saw it too James, right?"

The group is actually Team Rocket. James says, "That's a rare Pokémon."

Meowth states, "Yeah, the rarest of the rare. We need to catch one and get it to The Boss. He'll be sure to reward us!"

James asks, "What kind of reward?"

"We're talking rubies and sapphires!"

Jessie says, "I prefer emeralds."

"He would give us those too. He'll give the entire list of treasures, alpha to omega!"

James exclaims, "With that much money we could own the land, sea, and sky!"

Meowth nods. "Exactly. That's why we need to catch it."

Jessie states, "We'll need a robot."

Meowth nods again. "That shouldn't be too much of a problem. What luck that we found that giant meteorite. After breaking it up and selling the pieces to ignorant tourists, we've made a fortune. We can afford a robot that will catch that Deoxys like there's no tomorrow."

* * *

**It's Rayquaza!**

* * *

The group has followed Deoxys back to the meteorite museum. It changes into its Attack Form and launches an orb of psychic energy at the entrance, blasting it open.

Brock asks, "Why's it using its Psycho Boost attack on the museum?"

Steven answers, "I don't know, but we have to stop it. Go, Aggron!" Steven throws a Pokéball and releases his Aggron. "Use Flash Cannon!"

"Aggron!" Aggron attacks with a beam of silver light.

Deoxys turns its head as it notices the attack. Its shape morphs into that of its Defense Form and it creates a barrier which blocks the attack.

Crate comes running out of the entrance to his gym. He shouts, "What's going on here!?"

Ash explains, "That meteorite you gave Steven turned out to be a Deoxys! Now it's attacking your museum!"

Crate looks at the wrecked museum. "No, I just finished fixing that!"

Deoxys flies into the hole it made. The group follows. Ash commands, "Pikachu, stop it with Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaa chuuuu!" Pikachu launches its electrical attack at Deoxys, but it is stopped by another barrier.

The Deoxys floats to the corner of the room and focuses on a display case with a single fist-sized meteorite. It transforms into its Attack Form and unleashes a Psycho Cut attack.

Crate exclaims, "I found that meteorite in the same area that I found Deoxys'!"

The rock is cut in half by the attack, revealing a small, smooth, and round red and blue stone in the center emblazoned with a DNA pattern. Steven gasps. "It couldn't be!" He looks at Aggron and commands, "Try another flash Cannon! We can't let it get that stone!"

Aggron fires another attack at Deoxys, but Deoxys changes back to Defense Form and protects itself again. Deoxys picks up the stone. As soon as it does its entire body begins to glow. An orb of golden-orange energy surrounds it. After a few moments of this, the energy orb dissipates, revealing a changed Deoxys. It most closely resembles Deoxys' Defense Form, but is still different. Most noticeably, it has grown two extra sets of tentacles, one on each side of its body, and it appears bulkier than ever. Double helix DNA patterns crisscross its body, and the shades of its colors have become darker. Where its purple core gem used to be is now a larger version of the stone it picked up.

Steven says with surprise, "That…was a Mega Evolution…"

Mega Deoxys flies straight up and bursts through the roof. Ash asks, "There's Mega Evolution in the Tenno Region?"

Crate nods. "Yes; in the Kalos Region, Mega Evolution is fueled by the energy of a 3,000 year old catastrophe."

Steven adds, "And in Hoenn it's accredited to an ancient prayer to Rayquaza."

Crate finishes, "However, here in the Tenno Region, Mega Evolutions are fueled by cosmic energy. It is believed that when certain rocks are bathed in this cosmic energy, they transform in to Mega Stones, and will eventually fall to Earth as a meteor."

Steven states, "Something seemed wrong with that Deoxys. Now that's its Mega Evolved, who knows what could happen? We have to go stop it." He pulls out a Pokéball. "Aggron, return."

The group runs out of the museum. Mega Deoxys is floating above the city. A bright aurora emanates from it. Suddenly it shrieks again. It begins to charge for a Psycho Boost, and changes to Attack Form. This form is reminiscent of its normal Attack Form, but once again with an extra two sets of tentacles and DNA patterns running up and down it. It appears all around more physically powerful. It unleashes the Psycho Boost and destroys a nearby building. People all around cry out in horror. It prepares for another attack.

Steven states morbidly, "Mega Deoxys has gone berserk. We have to calm it." He pulls out another Pokéball and looks at it. He then looks back up at Mega Deoxys. He throws the ball. "Go, Metagross!" Steven releases his Metagross; however, it is silver and gold in coloration and wears some sort of bracelet around its front right leg. It sparkles upon release.

Brenda pulls back out her Pokédex. "Metagross, the Iron Legs Pokémon, and a Steel and Psychic Combo-Type. Metagross' brain is more powerful than a supercomputer, allowing a strategic edge in battle. Its body is composed of an unknown alloy. Metagross evolves from Metang at level at level 45."

Brenda exclaims, "Hey, that Metagross is colored differently from its picture!"

Without explaining, Steven declares, "Stand back." He raises his arm and taps down on the stickpin he wears on his breast. The stone on Metagross' bracelet begins to glow. Metagross becomes cloaked in an orb of golden-orange energy, identical to the one that covered Deoxys. "Go, Mega Evolution!"

The orb dissipates, revealing Shiny Mega Metagross. "Meta!"

Brenda says in awe, "Mega Evolution is amazing…"

Brock nods in agreement. "I've never seen anything like it."

Deoxys is about to unleash another Psycho Boost. Steven cries, "Metagross, stop it with Meteor Mash!" Mega Metagross intersects Mega Deoxys' attack by pounding it away with Meteor Mash. Deoxys looks at Metagross for a few moments, but then seems to decide not to care. It turns and charges for another Psycho Boost. This time it aims at a person. "Intersect with Hyper Beam!" Mega Metagross fires a Hyper Beam at the attack, neutralizing it before it hits the pedestrians. The people run off. "Now move in for a direct attack, Meteor Mash!"

"Metagross!" Mega Metagross floats at high speeds towards Deoxys and punches it with a glowing fist. Mega Deoxys counters by whipping its tentacles towards Metagross, sending several Psycho Cuts its way.

"Iron Defense!" Metagross goes into a defensive stance and protects itself.

Crate states, "It's no use, Mega Deoxys is too powerful! You can't stop it like this!"

Steven responds, "There's no other choice. For reasons we don't know, this Deoxys is attacking people. We can't allow it to do that."

Deoxys seems to lose interest in Metagross once more. It turns its head as if sensing something and suddenly becomes cloaked in a white light, as if charging for an Extreme Speed attack. It transforms again. This time it appears similar to its Speed Form. This time it only has two extra tentacles. It once again has darker shading and is imprinted with DNA patterns. It has a more aerodynamic design than before. It flies off with an incredible burst of speed.

The group runs to chase after it. They find it hovering above Team Rocket's meteorite stand. It's back in its Attack Form and is charging its largest Psycho Boost yet. Steven prepares for battle again.

Ash says, "Steven, let me help. You can't do this alone."

Steven shakes his head. "No Ash, this Mega Deoxys is possibly more powerful than even my Mega Metagross. It would be too dangerous for you and your Pokémon. You need to stay out of this." He commands Metagross, "Giga Impact, go!" Mega Metagross charges at Mega Deoxys while cloaked in a veil of intense energy. Deoxys releases its Psycho Boost and destroys the meteorite stand. It then notices Metagross and uses Protect. As it does, it changes back into its Defense Form. The shield it creates stops Metagross completely.

James' voice declares, "What do you have against our humble meteorite stand?"

The group looks towards the source of the voice and see two giant robots heading towards them. One is a robotic Groudon, and the other a Kyogre. Both mechanical giants travel towards them on tank-like treads. Jessie states, "You're fortunate that we've already got our return out of that venture."

Steven asks, "What is this?"

To answer, Jessie and Wobbuffet rise out of a hatch on the Groudon mech and Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble, especially those which came from outer space!"

James and Meowth rise out of the Kyogre and James continues, "Make it double, we'll put you in your place!"

"To protect the land from devastation!"

"To unite all seas within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach our reach to the skies above!"

"The Alpha, Jessie!"

"The Omega, James!"

"Team Rocket beats Aqua and Magma all day and night!"

"Surrender your rubies and sapphires now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobba!"

"Mime mime!"

Steven recognizes them. "Really, you're still being followed by these guys?"

Ash nods in response.

Jessie explains, "We've come to capture the Deoxys!" Team Rocket lowers back into their respective machines. James and Meowth drive the Kyogre, while Jessie and Wobbuffet are at the controls of the Groudon.

Meowth says, "Thanks to our Mecha Alpha Kyogre and Mecha Omega Groudon, powered by 100% efficient meteorite power, we'll surely capture it." A glass pod can be seen on each mech, containing a glowing rock.

Deoxys looks at the machines and suddenly charges for a Psycho Boost, transforming into its Attack Form. It cries out, almost as if in pain and releases the attack. The attack hits the Groudon right where the meteorite can be seen, but it seems to do minimal damage.

Jessie laughs. "Now it's my turn!" She presses a button and the arm of the Groudon fires off like a rocket, attached back to the machine via a tether. The arm shoots at Deoxys, who uses a Protect, changing it to Defense Form. The rocket propelled arm hits the shield and stalls for a few moments. Out of nowhere the meteorite powering the mech begins to glow a harsh purple. The energy from it then travels up the tether and causes the arm to glow the same. It cracks through Deoxys' shield and grabs a hold of it. The arm retracts, pulling Deoxys with it.

Jessie is surprised. "Hey, that actually worked!"

James is also confused. "Odd, somehow I didn't think it would be that easy."

Meowth exclaims, "Who cares, let's just get out of here!" The mechs turn around and begin to roll away. Deoxys struggles to break free, but is suddenly covered by a cloak of the purple energy. It cries out in pain.

Brenda asks, "How did Team Rocket manage to break Mega Deoxys' shield!?"

Steven theorizes, "It must have something to do with that meteorite they were using for power." He makes a connection. "Wait a second; they said that they were selling those meteorites! It wasn't until we passed by that stand that Deoxys first woke up…then it destroyed the stand. Something about those meteorites must be bothering Deoxys."

Crate steps forward. "I know what it is. I've seen meteorites like that before. They emit a very peculiar energy signature. I've found in my studies that the wavelength of that energy is the exact opposite of those found in cosmic waves."

Brock exclaims, "Which are the energy source that originally created Deoxys! It must be harmful to it!"

Ash adds, "And Team Rocket must have sold those meteorites to people all over the town by now, that's why Deoxys was attacking seemingly at random! It wanted to stop its pain!"

Steven nods. "We have to get Deoxys away from the city. That should allow it to regain its reason." He looks at the rest of the group. "We have to stop Team Rocket."

Ash replies, "We always do. Let's go!" The group runs off after Team Rocket.

In her mech, Jessie is leaning back and relaxing while Wobbuffet drives. She says, "Ah, success. It feels so good."

Suddenly Wobbuffet cries out frantically, "Wobba wobba wobba!"

"What is it?" She looks up to the view screen to see the group catching up with them. She shouts, "James, Meowth, we've got twerps coming in fast!"

James responds, "I see them, and I'll get them." The Kyogre robot turns around to face Ash and the rest.

Meowth declares, "Let's see how you like our Hyper Hydro Pump!" The Kyogre mech unleashes a torrent of water.

Ash commands, "Pikachu, block it with Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" Pikachu's electrical attack cancels the water one.

Steven declares, "Now Metagross, free Deoxys with Meteor Mash!"

"Meta!" Mega Metagross flies towards the Groudon mech.

Jessie shouts, "I don't think so! Go, Fervent Fire Blast!" The fake Groudon releases a burst of fire that knocks back Metagross.

Meowth laughs. "Ha! These mechs are just as powerful as the real deals. There's no way you can stop us!"

Mega Deoxys cries out. It transforms into Attack Form and attempts to use Psycho Cut. The attack bounces harmlessly off the Groudon's exterior.

Brenda asks, "If not even Deoxys' attacks can do anything, what are we supposed to do?"

Ash declares, "We have to keep trying! Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

Steven adds, "Metagross, Giga Impact!"

Pikachu and Metgross both charge towards the Groudon mech. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika…!" At about the same time that the two are about to hit, Deoxys lets out another cry and charges a Psycho Boost. The three attacks all hit the meteorite core at the exact same time. The glass containing it shatters and the meteorite flies out, and Crate catches it.

Jessie is horrorstruck. "Uh oh…"

Deoxys creates massive shockwave around it, and without the protection of the meteorite, it breaks free.

Ash cheers, "Yeah, we freed it!"

Deoxys moves away a little and then charges for a massive Psycho Boost.

Ash suggests, "Pikachu, why don't we add your Thunderbolt?"

Steven nods. "And your Hyper Beam Metagross."

The three Pokémon all unleash their attacks at the same time. They all hit the Groudon mech at the same time, knocking it into the Kyogre one. The meteorite from the Kyogre is smashed and the two mechs blow up. The resulting explosion sends Team Rocket hurtling into the air.

Meowth wonders, "Maybe if I had gone for the optional Primal Reversion function this wouldn't have happened…"

Jessie shouts with anger, "I'll revert you to the primal age for that mistake!"

James complains, "At this rate we'll blast off all the way to the Hoenn Region…"

They all shout together, "We're blasting off again!"

Back at the ground, Crate says, "I managed to grab one of those meteorites; we need to use it to lure Deoxys out of the city."

Pikachu jumps off of Ash's shoulders and grabs the meteorite. It then lands on top of Mega Metagross. "Pika."

Ash nods with understanding. "Do it Pikachu."

Steven agrees, "You too Metagross."

Metagross with Pikachu riding on it fly away, out of the city. Deoxys notices, charges for an Extreme Speed, transforms into its Speed Form, and dashes after them. The group runs after them.

After running for a while, they make it out of the city and into the outskirts. After Pikachu and Metagross make it a little further out, Pikachu throws the meteorite into the air. Mega Deoxys changes into Attack Form as it unleashes another Psycho Boost, obliterating the meteorite. As soon as it's destroyed, Deoxys seems to instantly calm somewhat.

Ash and the others catch up. Ash shouts, "Deoxys, we are away from the meteorites, you need to calm!"

Deoxys looks down to them. It seems to float there for a few moments, contemplating something.

Steven adds, "You are free to go where you want now. You can return to where you came from, or you can travel around this world. However, you do need to remain calm and stop destroying everything."

Deoxys makes a movement as if it were taking a deep breath. The gold-orange field of energy surrounds Deoxys as it Mega Devolves. It reappears in its normal Attack Form, and then instantly changes into its Normal Form. The Mega Stone that it used drops and falls next to Steven's feet. The Deoxys looks towards the group, as if to thank them. It then turns into its Speed Form, looks straight up, then dashes with incredible speed into the sky.

Brenda waves and shouts, "Goodbye Deoxys!"

Steven looks at his Mega Metagross. "Thank you for your help my friend."

"Meta." Metagross also Mega Devolves. Steven returns it to its Pokéball. Steven bends down and picks up the Mega Stone.

Crate laughs and says, "Well, I guess that I owe you a meteorite for your collection."

Steven holds the stone up towards the Sun. "That will be unnecessary. I think that this fine specimen of Deoxite will be more than enough for my collection."

* * *

It's later in the day, sunset to be exact. Steven is on the same hover-boat that he arrived in. It is now departing. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Crate are waving to him, and he waves back. The boat gets far enough that Steven can no longer be seen.

Ash suddenly declares, "Darn it!"

Brock asks, "What is it Ash?"

"I meant to ask Steven for a battle before he left. I never got the chance to last time we met, and I want to now more than ever that I know he's the Champion."

Crate responds, "You know what Ash, you're a powerful trainer. I have a feeling that your paths will cross again. The world tends to work that way."

Ash nods.

Brenda adds, "Besides, you can't worry about that now. You need to focus on your upcoming battle at the Kanaveral City Gym."

Ash nods again. "Right."

Brenda looks into the sky. "I wonder where Deoxys is right now."

Brock looks into the sunset and proclaims, "There's no way to know, but just as we have an adventure ahead of us, it surely has a new one ahead of it."

The scene slowly zooms out, showing first a view of the city from above, then the Tenno Region, then the world. We look out from there into the vast expanses of outer space. Deoxys, still in its Speed Form, flies by.

_The world is full of mysteries, both from the primal past and the mega future. Ash and friends may have solved one, and thus put an adventure behind them, but just as Brock says, they surely have another ahead. In fact, we all have new adventures ahead of us, just beyond the horizon. Stay tuned._

As the scene ends, a Rayquaza can be seen flying by. In the last few moments, in a brilliant display of light, it turns into Mega Rayquaza and flies out of sight.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**If you're interested in seeing pictures of Mega Deoxys, as well as any other Mega Evolutions I might make in the future, check out the Pokémon Cosmic Quest Official Website. A link is provided on my profile page.**


	15. Episode 15: Krakannon Fodder

Episode 15: Krakannon Fodder

_With all of their action-filled adventures in Horizoport City behind them, we find our heroes in a very familiar situation: they're late for the ferry!_

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are running with all their effort towards the Horizoport Wharf. The ocean can be seen just coming into view. Brock shouts, "No, we're not going to make it!"

Ash tries to run faster, "We have to, Crate said that that's the last boat to Kanaveral City until tomorrow! I don't want to have to wait here for another day!"

Brenda looks upset with herself. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I didn't think the boat was leaving for another hour."

Ash comes to a sudden stop. Brock and Brenda catch up. Just ahead, the ferry can be seen leaving port. "Darn, I was really excited to get to Kanaveral City too."

Brenda hangs her head as well. "So was I."

Brock looks at his guide book. "Yeah, it looks like Crate was right, I don't see any other ferries listed until tomorrow. Sorry Ash."

A nearby voice says, "Ahoy landlubbers, if I heard ye correct, ye be seeking passage to Kanaveral City."

They turn to the side to see an older man walking towards them. He has the appearance of a sailor, wearing tattered clothes, a captain's hat, and sporting a white beard. Ash replies, "Yeah, I'm going to challenge the Kanaveral Gym."

The man nods. "I can get ye there. I have a ship docked nearby, and plan to take a voyage towards Kanaveral City soon. If ye want, I could bring ye along."

Ash nods and exclaims, "That would be great sir!"

"Call me Ahab. And who might ye scallywags be?"

"I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this my partner Pikachu." He looks back to his friends. "And this is Brock and Brenda."

Ahab looks to the skies. "I must warn ye though. There be a squall coming, I can tell. It might not be in yer best interest to leave immediately."

Brock looks up to the sky. "That's odd. The weather seems perfectly fine."

Brenda adds, "And the weather report didn't say anything about a storm either."

Ash decides, "Who cares about the weather? I want my Gym Badge. Let's go.

Ahab affirms with an "Argh."

* * *

"There she be, me pride and joy." The group approaches an old fashioned sailing ship, suited for someone like Ahab.

Brenda states, "Oh…it's a…sail boat…"

Ahab seems to almost take offense, "Why I'll have ye know, she be more than just a sail boat. She be a Man-o'-War, one o' the finest vessels to ever sail the seven seas." He beckons towards the boarding ramp. "Let's cast off." They all board.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**These Pokémon live on beaches, burrowed inside holes dug into the sand. On sandy beaches with little in the way of food, they can be seen squabbling with each other over territory.**

* * *

They've casted off. The ship is well on its way, leaving the Horizoport Wharf. At the helm is Captain Ahab. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are at the front of the boat looking forward. Ahead of them, a large landmass can be seen. It is distant, but the silhouette of several skyscrapers can be seen. Brenda points out and declares, "That's it, Kanaveral City, the largest city in all of Tenno!"

Ash asks, "What's so important about Kanaveral City anyways?"

Brenda answers, "There are so many reasons. Actually, look back just 100 years ago, and it was but a small fishing village. That changed when Tenno entered its Space Age. Back 60 years ago, when the Tenno Aeronautics and Space Administration, or TASA, was just beginning to fire rockets into space, they needed an ideal place to launch them. They searched all around the world. Some of the most encouraging spots were Kanto's Fuchsia City, Hoenn's Mossdeep Island, and Kanaveral Village. In the end, they decided that Tenno's own Kanaveral Village was the most ideal location. It was a cape, extending into the ocean, located almost exactly on the equator, both of which were very important factors when launching a space ship. Within another 20 years, Kanaveral City was the site of every major rocket launch, including the one that carried the first men to the Moon. Due to the importance that the Tenno Region has placed on space travel since then, Kanaveral City grew by the year, until it became one of the largest cities in the world, comparable even to Castelia, Lumiose, and Mauville.

Brock adds, "I've heard that the Space Center in Mossdeep City is based on the designs used for the Cape Space Center of Kanaveral City."

Ahab shouts to them, "Ahoy, if all goes well, we be docking in Kanaveral City within the hour."

Behind the boat, a periscope rises above the water. The periscope is connected to what seems to be a giant Magikarp, just below the surface. It's not a Magikarp at all, but rather Team Rocket's submarine. Inside, Jessie, James, and Meowth are pedaling away in order to power it. James comments, "After being cooped up in our balloon for so long, it's nice to get some exercise."

Mime Jr., who is sitting on James' shoulder, and appears to be pretending to pedal, agrees, "Mime mime!"

Meowth, who seems to disagree, responds, "Oy, at least the balloon has a handsome face. I can't stand all this pedaling."

Jessie looks back and commands, "I don't care if your leg muscles get disproportionately huge, we need to catch up with the Twerps, and right now this is our best method."

As if to agree with her, Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie pulls out her Pokéball and returns it. "Either you pedal, or you stay silent. No free rides." She looks back to Meowth and threatens, "Now I can't shove you back in a Pokéball, so if you don't stop complaining and start pedaling, I'll shove you somewhere else."

Meowth instantly starts pedaling faster. "Yes ma'am!"

Back above the surface on the ship, Ahab looks up towards the sky. A gust of wind ruffles his hair. "Arr, the storm I warned ye about, it be coming in from the west."

Ash looks up. "How's that possible? There's still not a cloud in the sky."

"When ye sail the seas for as long as I've been, ye begin to pick up on the subtleties of the weather. We should not have departed."

Just as he's saying this, storm clouds roll in out of nowhere. It begins to rain a heavy downpour. A howling wind also begins to blow.

Brock shouts over the wind, "I can't believe it, this storm came out of nowhere!"

Ahab shouts, "All hands on deck, batten down the hatches! In all me years of sailing, I've never seen a squall so powerful!" He starts to spin the steering wheel. "We need to get this boat turned around and fast."

The boat begins a 180 degree turn, but is interrupted as a massive wave crashes into it. The wave pushes them out of the Kanaveral Straight and into open sea. Ahab shouts, "Brace yer selves!"

Under water, Team Rocket's sub is being tossed around by the storm. Jessie and Meowth have been forced off of their seats by the force of the storm and are being thrown around in the tumbling submarine. Jessie shouts, "Who turned on the storm!?"

Meowth shouts, "The weather report sure didn't say anything about this!"

James, who is still clinging onto to his seat and pedaling with all his might, declares, "Come on you wimps, don't let a little rain get you down, we've got a Pikachu to catch!"

Mime Jr. agrees, "Mime mime!"

The submarine is sent away in the same direction as Ahab's ship by another wave. Jessie and Meowth shout, "Team Rocket's being washed away again!"

James shouts, "Wimps!"

* * *

**It's Krabby!**

* * *

The storm has subsided. The sky is still cloudy, but the rain, wind, and waves have stopped. Ahab's ship floats there in the open water. Brenda asks, "Is it over?"

Ahab nods. "Aye, the storm has ran its course. It be safe for us to finish the trip to Kanaveral City."

Ash shouts, "Then what are we waiting for!? Let's get moving!"

Pikachu agrees, "Pika!"

Suddenly a flock of Wingull fly over. They seem to be flying away from something. Ahab looks up at them intently. He murmurs to himself, "Argh, it can't be…"

Brock asks, "What is it?"

"I've only seen Wingull behave like that once before. It was the last time I encountered…it…"

Ash asks, "What, what's it?"

Ahab suddenly shouts, "We may be out of the storm, but we're not out of danger yet! Brace for impact!"

As soon as he says that, the boat suddenly begins to rock. A massive red tentacle with yellow suction cups slams into the deck of the boat. It almost hits Ash, who leaps out of the way just in time.

Ahab throws a Pokéball. "Crawdaunt, all hands on deck!" A Crawdaunt comes out of the Pokéball. He adds, "If ye be Pokémon Trainers, let out yer Pokémon and fight by me side!"

Without hesitation Pikachu jumps off of Ash's shoulders, Brenda sends out Kappaqua, and Brock sends out Blissey. Several more tentacles come slamming down across the boat's deck. Everyone jumps out of the way. Ahab commands, "Crawdaunt, Crab Hammer!" With glowing claws, Crawdaunt smacks away one of the incoming tentacles.

Brenda shouts, "Kappaqua, Aqua Bomb!"

"Kappaapapaqa!" Kappaqua sends several orbs of water at the tentacles around the boat.

Brock adds, "And Blissey, clear off the tentacles with Strength!" Blissey goes from tentacle to tentacle, throwing them off the boat.

Ash shouts, "Now Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaa chuuuuuuu!" Pikachu's electric attack hits all of the remaining tentacles.

A shrill shriek is suddenly heard echoing across the water. Out of the water rises a massive Pokémon. It primarily red with some yellow accents. It look reminiscent to the Pokémon Octillery, but has a wedge-shaped head, closer to a squid's. Its mouth is opened, and emerging from its face, giving it the appearance of a cannon. The Pokémon is easily large enough to wrap its tentacles around the entire ship. It shrieks, "Krak!"

Ahab shouts, "So ye took me first ship, and now ye have come back to finish the job! Hear this, I'm ready for ye this time! Stay away from me ship!"

The Pokémon shrieks again before lowering itself into the water and swimming away. Ash asks, "What kind of Pokémon was that?" He pulls out his Pokédex.

"Krakannon, the Cannon Pokémon, and a Water-Type. Krakannon's cannon-like mouth grants it the ability to fire pulses of water at high velocities. Although Krakannon rarely grow to be larger than seven feet tall, legends speak of a giant Krakannon, at least ten times larger. Krakannon evolves from Octillery by leveling up while knowing the move Aqua Cannon."

Brenda exclaims, "That must have been one of those giant ones!"

Brock claims, "I've heard the myth, but I never thought it was possible."

Ahab steps forward and states, "Well ye better be a believer now. That Pokémon be known as Colossus. She got that name over 200 years ago, back when vessels like mine still sailed the seas of Tenno. She would latch onto boats with her massive tentacles and squeeze them until they cracked apart. I had an encounter with her nearly 30 years ago, when she nearly dragged me down to Davy Jones' Locker. She ended up taking me ship, but couldn't take me with it. Since that day, I have spent me life in pursuit of her, and this be the first time I've seen her since."

Brenda asks, "Why have you been hunting Colossus?"

Ahab hangs his head. "It is believed that when Colossus sinks a boat, she takes anything o' any value that that ship be containing. Back when she sunk me first ship, I had some very special and irreplaceable loot aboard. I need to find the monster's horde. Now that we have the location of the beast, I'm certain her lair must not be far from here."

Ash declares, "Then what are we waiting her for!? Let's follow Colossus, and find that horde!"

Ahab perks up. "Ye be willing to help me, even though ye barely know me?"

Ash nods. "You offered to help us, so now we'll help you out in return. I can tell that this is important to you, we can spare the time."

"Why, I not be knowing what to say."

Brock says, "You don't have to say anything. Let's get started."

"Aye aye." Ahab returns his Crawdaunt and throws a separate Pokéball. In the water next to the boat, a Sharpedo appears. "Sharpedo, I need you to follow Colossus' trail. This may be the time we've been waiting for."

"Pedo!" Sharpedo sinks into the water.

Brenda turns to Kappaqua. "Why don't you go search under water as well?"

"Kappa!" Kappaqua jumps into the water and swims off.

Ash thinks for a second and says, "Hey, I've got an idea." He throws a Pokéball, and lets out Apprentichick. "Apprentichick, I need you to go fly around the ocean, look for any signs of Wingull behaving oddly."

"Apprentttiiiichick!" Apprentichick flies off.

* * *

Team Rocket's sub is in some sort of cave. It would appear to be an air pocket in an underwater cave. The hatch on top opens up and Meowth, Jessie, and James all push their way out at once. Meowth declares, "Air, fresh air!"

Jessie adds, "Not to mention solid ground!" They jump off the sub and onto the cave floor.

James observes the cavern. "Hmm…it would appear that the storm forced us into an undersea cavern." He turns around and his eyes go wide. "Oh my, what do we have here!?"

Jessie and Meowth turn around to look as well. Sprawled out before them is a massive pile of treasure. It's mostly gold, but there are other valuables as well. Meowth exclaims, "We've hit the mother lode!" He runs towards it.

Jessie pushes him back and gets ahead of him. "It must be full of gold, silver, and crystals!"

Meowth gets back ahead of her and adds, "Don't forget rubies, sapphires, and emeralds!"

James joins in the race. "I'm betting on diamonds, pearls, and platinum!" The three jump into the pile of treasure as if it were a swimming pool. They frolic around in it for several moments. James states, "With all this treasure, I could by all of the rare bottle caps in the world!"

Jessie fantasizes, "I could buy the most expensive of dresses!"

Meowth adds, "And I could buy my way right to The Boss' lap!"

They all shout at once, "It's a dream come true, we're rich!"

* * *

Back on the boat, Ahab is on the crow's nest, looking out to sea with a telescope. Ash climbs up and joins him. Ash asks, "So what do you plan to do once you find Colossus?"

Ahab lowers his telescope and answers, "I've put a lot o' me thoughts into that over the years." He pulls out a Dive Ball. "I need to catch it, put an end to all of the destruction it has caused. I've done the research; Colossus has taken anywhere up to 200 ships over the years. It's taken untold fortunes of treasure. It has to be stopped."

Ash nods. "Do you really think you can capture it?"

"I can't be certain, but I have to try. These Dive Balls are specially designed to catch Pokémon underwater, so they offer me the best chance I've got." He raises his telescope back to his eye. He spots something off in the distance. It's Sharpedo, Kappaqua, and Apprentichick. Ahab shouts, "Pokémon, ho!" He jumps out of the crow's nest and slides down the rope ladder, making it back to the deck. Ash follows. Brock and Brenda are waiting for them.

The Pokémon approach the boat, Apprentichick lands on Ash's arm. Ash asks, "Did you guys find anything?"

Apprentichick nods proudly. "Apprenti!"

Ahab shouts, "Then, what are we waiting for, lead the way!" Ahab takes his place behind the wheel. Sharpedo, Kappaqua, and Apprentichick lead the boat off in the direction they came from.

After sailing for short while, the Pokémon stop and so does the boat. Several Wingull are flying in circles overhead. Ahab nods. "Yo ho, this must be it. I have some diving gear in the hold, I'll go get it."

* * *

A little later, the group is all dressed in wetsuits and wearing breathing apparatuses in their mouths. One by one they jump into the water. They dive down, following Sharpedo and Kappaqua. Colossus' shriek is heard. "Kraaaak!" Ash and Ahab look at each other and nod. They continue descending.

After a little more, they reach the seafloor. At little bit ahead of them, they see a cave. Ahab points to it and the rest of them nod. They swim in. once inside, Ahab points up, and they all swim in that direction. They come up in an air pocket. Ahab says, "This must be one o' those seafloor cavern systems, I've heard that they can go on and on like a maze for quite a while. It be the perfect hideout for Colossus."

Brock asks, "So we've got to keep on swimming until we find it?"

Ahab nods. "I know she be here. I can sense her." They put their breathers back on and dive back under. They swim forward, navigating the labyrinth of tunnels.

Out of nowhere, a giant tentacle materializes behind them. It is whipped towards Ahab. Sharpedo notices just in time, and pushes Ahab out of the way. Ahab, realizing what happened, beckons for the rest to go up. They do.

They surface in another air pocket, and climb up onto a cave ledge. They don't notice, but nearby them is Team Rocket's submarine. Ahab shouts, "Alright Sharpedo, prepare for battle!"

Ash looks to Pikachu. "Are you ready Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods. "Pika."

Ahab shakes his head. "No, this be my fight. Leave it to me."

Colossus surfaces. "Kraaaaaak!"

"Sharpedo, Crunch!"

Sharpedo charges at Colossus and bites down on one of its tentacles. Colossus whips the bitten tentacle up in to the air, and then into the water, smacking Sharpedo off. Sharpedo is knocked out by the force of the attack.

Ahab returns Sharpedo and throws another Pokéball, releasing Crawdaunt again. "Go in for the Crabhammer!"

Crawdaunt jumps into the air and slams its claw down on top of Colossus' head. Colossus swings another tentacle in and knocks Crawdaunt away. Ahab grunts. "Alright Crawdaunt, we only have one hope! Use Guillotine!"

Crawdaunt leaps into the air again, and its claw begins to glow. "Crawdaunt!" Crawdaunt avoids several tentacles that are sent flying its way; it then closes its claw around Colossus' head. The force of the attack sends the giant Krakannon flying backwards. It's knocked out.

Ahab grins. "At long last." He pulls out his Dive Ball and prepares to throw it.

Before he can though, four large shadows appear under the water. They come to the surface. They are four giant Remoraid.

Brenda takes out her Pokédex. "Remoraid, the Jet Pokémon, and a Water-Type. Remoraid are renowned for their ability to accurately hit any target with bursts of water. They undergo one of the most drastic changes when evolving. Evolves into Octillery at level 25."

Brenda realizes, "Wait, if those things evolve into Octillery, which evolves into Krakannon, they must be…"

Ahab finishes, "They must be Colossus' brood."

The four Remoraid swim in circles around the feinted Krakannon, appearing worried. Ahab drops his Dive Ball.

Brock surmises, "That must mean that Colossus isn't one giant Krakannon, but a family of them. And whenever it attacks a ship it's only trying to protect its family!"

Ahab nods. "They weren't unprovoked attacks after all. Colossus just be protecting her own."

Colossus starts to wake up. It slowly comes to its senses. As it realizes that its babies and the intruders are in the same room, it prepares to continue fighting."

Ahab walks up to the edge of the ledge and announces, "Colossus, I don't want to fight ye anymore. I had no idea what ye be protecting down here. I'd be a monster to try to pull ye away from yer family."

Colossus looks back at Ahab, as if understanding his sentiment.

Ahab continues, "Look at me Colossus, do ye remember me? Ye took something when ye sunk me ship years ago. It be very important to me to get it back."

Colossus nods. Slowly one of its tentacles reaches out of the water. It stretches it out and reaches behind the group, into the treasure trove. Team Rocket, who are still swimming about in the treasure, don't even notice as they are too caught up in their greed. The tentacle picks up a single small, wooden treasure chest. It pulls it out and gently places it in front of Ahab.

A tear comes to Ahab's eye. "Could it really be?"

Brenda asks excitedly, "What is it? Is it some sort of pirate treasure?"

Ahab shakes his head. "No, it be much more valuable than any mere treasure ever could be." He opens it up to reveal a single gold ring, with a pearl attached. "This be the ring I was going to propose to me wife with. I was on me last journey before I was to propose to her. I eventually proposed with a different ring, but I swore to her that I would get this one back someday. After all these years, I finally have." He closes the box and looks back at Krakannon. "Thank you friend. May I call ye friend?" Krakannon nods. "I promise ye that ye will never be disturbed again."

"Krak!"

He looks to the others. "Come on, it be about time for use to leave here."

* * *

The group has made it back to the boat. It is now sunset and Kanaveral City can be seen not far away. Ahab announces, "We be reaching Kanaveral City soon."

Ash approaches Ahab, "So what are you going to do now? You've spent the last thirty years hunting for Colossus, what comes next?"

Ahab looks up into the sunset. "I can't be sure. Me life will always be out at sea, that much is for sure. Once we arrive in Kanaveral, I'll be sure to meet up with some one official about Colossus. I think I may be able to have them create an off-limits zone around Colossus' nest, that way there's never a misunderstanding again."

Ash nods. "I wish you luck with that, and any future voyages."

Ahab nods back, "Aye, and I wish that the wind be in ye sails for yer fight at the Kanaveral Gym."

_After an adventure of mythic proportion, Ash is ready to move on to his next gym battle in Kanaveral City. Certainly our heroes have learned from this experience that the outrageous can be just as real as anything else…hold on, I can't help but feel like we've forgotten something…_

* * *

Team Rocket's submarine is stuck at the bottom of the cave underwater, it won't budge. The four giant Remoraid are swimming around it in circles. Inside, it is apparent that it sunk due to the fact that it is loaded to the brim with treasure. Jessie cries, "Come on you two, pedal harder, if don't we're fish food!"

Meowth, who looks exhausted, states, "I can't, I'm too tired."

Even James looks worn out. "It's just too much."

Outside, one Remoraid slams into the sub. Team Rocket screams. The other Remoraid bump into it as well. They scream even louder.


	16. Episode 16: The Social Net

Episode 16: The Social Net

_Having just docked after an exhilarating adventure at sea, today we find our heroes just entering the grand metropolis that is Kanaveral City, the largest city in the Tenno Region._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda walk down a street of Kanaveral City. On either side of them, and stretching for as long as can be seen are towering skyscrapers. Most of the crowds of people they walk past are using some sort of device that appears to be a holographic screen projected from a small piece of technology. Brenda looks around in awe and says excitedly, "Wow! This is all so amazing! I've always dreamed of coming here, to the big city, but I never imagined it being this spectacular."

Brock remembers, "Oh yeah, you've never been off of Tenno Minor before, and there're next to no major cities there, right?"

Brenda nods. She looks around more. "I wonder what I should do first…"  
She notices a nearby mall. "That's it, let's go shopping!" She begins to run towards the mall.

At the same time, Brock notices a group of three girls walking by. He declares in a dream-like voice, "I know what _I'm_ doing!" and begins to prance towards the girls.

Ash grabs both Brock and Brenda by their backpacks and pulls them back. "In case you guys forgot, we're here for my gym battle."

Brenda nods, "Right, sorry. Gym battle first, shopping later."

Brock shouts with disappointment, "Goodbye ladies!"

Ash looks around. "Where do you think the gym is?"

Brock, back to being serious, pulls out a Kanaveral guidebook. "Hmm…we shouldn't be too far from it. Follow me." They walk off.

* * *

The group turns around a corner. Brock looks puzzled. "Huh, I don't get it. The gym should be right here."

Brenda moans, "That's what you've been saying for the past hour."

Ash adds, "Come on Brock, what's the matter?"

Brock shrugs. "I really don't know. This city has a very complex system to it, and I've never been in a city so big before."

Brenda suggests, "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we just ask someone? They're sure to know where the gym is in their own home city."

Ash looks around and taps the first person he sees on the back. Its man wearing a business suit. He is staring down at one of the holographic devices, which he seems to be reading off of and controlling via touch. Ash asks, "Excuse me sir, we're looking for the Kanaveral Gym, could you help us out?"

The man doesn't respond right away. After a moment he looks up and stumbles, "Oh…um…sorry about that. I was pretty engaged in what I was doing. What did you ask?"

"We're trying to get to the Kanaveral Gym. Would you happen to know where it is?"

The man happily responds, "Why don't we ask the Pokéssistant?"

Brock and Brenda walk over and the man starts to tap the holographic display of his device. Brock asks, "What's a Pokéssistant?"

The man looks at him with surprise, Brenda does as well. Brenda asks, "How could you not have heard of the Pokéssistant? It's the newest trend across the Tenno Region! I always wanted one, but Mom said they were too expensive."

Ash states, "Well I've never heard of them either."

The man explains, "The Pokéssistant is a marvel of modern technology. It can connect to a global network from anywhere in the world, allowing for all kinds of stuff, like information searches, or e-mail. You can download tons of different applications onto it that serve a wide verity of functions, such as tools or games. You can even make phone calls with it, and all in the palm of your hand. It's wondrous!" He shows the holographic screen to Ash and Brock. "See, it's found a map from here to the Kanaveral Gym." He looks at the map. "It's not far either, why don't I lead you there?"

Ash nods. "That would be great, thanks."

* * *

The man leads them right to the gym. It's a large building, quite possibly one of the largest gym buildings there is. Visible just beyond it is the Cape Space Center, including a rocket sitting on the launch pad. The man says, "Alright, here we are."

Ash says, "Thank sir, you were a big help."

"It was no problem at all." He waves and walks away, and turns back to his Pokéssistant.

Ash approaches the gym. He looks at Pikachu. "Are you ready for our second Tenno gym battle Pikachu?"

"Pik!"

"Alright, let's do this!" Ash runs the rest of the way, however he bumps into the automatic doors when they don't open. He quickly gets back up. "Hey, what gives?"

Brock points out a notice attached to the door. He says, "Hey, look at this. It says: A notice to all challengers: due to the rocket launch in the coming months, the Kanaveral City Gym will be closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconveniences, and please come back after the launch. For further updates, follow us on your Pokéssistant's newsfeed."

Ash is annoyed. "Why do they have to close the gym for some dumb old rocket ship?"

Brock, looking back in his guidebook, answers, "According to this, the Gym Leader here also serves as the director of the Cape Space Center. He's in charge of all the major rocket launches."

Brenda adds, "And the coming rocket launch has been all over the news lately, it will be the first major rocket with human passengers since the Moon trips decades ago. It's a pretty big deal. I can see why the Gym Leader would want to close the gym."

Ash sighs. "So what are we going to do now then?"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**When this legendary Pokémon's wings and tail feathers spread wide and glow red, it absorbs the life force of living creatures.**

* * *

The answer to Ash's question is apparently to go to the mall. He is begrudgingly sitting at a table in a food court. Brock sits across from him, but is only paying attention to all of the girls passing him. Ash complains, "I can't believe the gym is closed and I'm stuck here at a mall."

Brenda walks by, carrying a large tower of boxes and bags, and says, "Come on Ash, you could at least pretend to be enjoying yourself."

Brock, only half paying attention due to a passing girl says with a dazed voice, "Yeah Ash, there's so much to do here…"

A boy walks by. He, like many others here, is also absorbed in his Pokéssistant. He looks up for just long enough to notice Ash. He stops and asks, "Hey I saw your Pikachu, are you a trainer?"

Ash perks up. "You bet I am."

The boy nods. "Cool, how about a battle?"

Ash stands up. Yeah, let's do it!" He pulls a Pokéball off his belt.

The boy looks at Ash with confusion. "No, I didn't mean that type of battle." He beckons to his Pokéssistant. "I meant on these."

Ash is confused. "How do you plan to battle with that?"

The boy looks at Ash as if he is crazy. "How have you never heard of the Battle Simulator?"

"Battle what?"

The boy groans. "Come on, no one battles for real any more, it's so much more convenient to use the Battle Simulator App on your Pokéssistant. Here, look." The boy presses a Pokéball shaped icon on his display. The app starts up, showing a screen with two Pokémon, a Gengar on one side, and a Nidorino on the other. Both are static images with a status display of HP next to them. "See, it's just like a real battle."

Ash thinks otherwise. "If you say so…"

A menu listing four options pops up. "You see, you just tap the move you want your Pokémon to use, and it will." After an option is selected, the two Pokémon proceed to launch poorly animated attacks in a turn-based system. As each Pokémon is hit, the HP bar lowers. "A perfect representation of a Pokémon battle."

Ash seems unconvinced. He asks, "Why would do that, when you can go outside and have a real Pokémon battle? It seems far from perfect to me."

The boy laughs. "Whatever." He walks off.

Ash sits back down and asks, "What was up with that?"

Brock, too distracted to care, comments off-handedly, "I don't know…"

Ash sighs and looks to Pikachu for support. "You don't think that looked anything like real battling, do you?"

Pikachu shakes his head. "Pika."

Brenda comes running over to the table. She exclaims, "Hey guys, guess what!"

Neither Ash nor Brock are in the mood to answer, but both for completely different reasons.

Brenda stares at them for a few moments, expecting a response. When she doesn't get one, she goes on anyways, "I was just shopping in that store over there, and I overheard that there's a tour going on soon of the HQ of the company that makes the Pokéssistants. I say we should go check it out."

Ash mumbles, "I'm not really in the mood for that."

Brock, apparently not even listening, says to himself, "If only there was a way I could get her attention…"

As if on cue, Meteorfight appears and delivers an uppercut to Brock. He flies up into the air and then lands on the floor with a thud. "Meteorfight."

Everyone in the vicinity, which happens to be mostly girls, looks over. Brock moans, "That's not what I meant…"

Brenda sighs. "That settles it, we're going."

* * *

**It's Yveltal!**

* * *

Brenda leads Ash and Brock back through the streets of Kanaveral. She states, "Alright, we shouldn't be too far now." A little ahead of them, they notice a large crowd of people.

Ash states, "I wonder what's going on up there."

Brenda suggests, "Let's check it out."

They squeeze their way into the crowd. They find a group of three salespeople wearing business suits up on a stage. One, a woman with red hair, declares, "That's right people, we're giving them away for absolutely zilch, zero, nada!"

A blue-haired man adds, "That means free for those of you who don't speak gibberish."

One person in the crowd asks, "Exactly what are these apps?"

The third salesperson steps forward, he is very short. "Why they're only the most innovative game since…since…two games named after some colors."

Someone else asks, "How do we get the free app?"

The blue-haired one replies, "All you have to do is take one of these here code cards," he holds up a slip of paper, "and enter the code on your Pokéssistant, then voila! You have yourself your new free game!"

The crowd starts to get anxious. They move up towards the stage and various people shout things such as, "Give me one of those codes!" or "Move out of the way!" or "I was here first!"

They start to pass out slips of paper at a frantic rate. The red-haired one assures, "Easy people, there's plenty for everyone."

The blue-haired one notices Ash, Brock, and Brenda. After looking at them for a moment, he quickly calls out, "Hey, you twerp- I mean young folks, why don't you come over here and get a few codes for yourselves?"

Brock answers, "Thank you, but we don't have a Pokéssistant."

The short one shakes his head disapprovingly. "That's a crime shame."

The red-haired one shouts, "Well if you're not a customer then get out of here."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda look at each other and then walk away.

Brenda states, "That was rude."

Brock comments, "I guess we just didn't fit their demographic."

Brenda stops them. "Alright here we are, the Pokéssistant Company." They are now in front of a tall skyscraper.

They walk into a lobby area. There they see two people. One is a professional looking man wearing a suit, and the other is woman dressed in what seems to be the company uniform of the Pokéssistant Company. The man demands, "What do you mean it's gone!?"

The woman responds, "I don't know sir, it just is."

"How does an experimental piece of computer programming just go missing?"

"The only thing I could think of is that someone downloaded our copy of the file, leaving nothing behind."

The man looks concerned. "This is bad. Who knows what could happened if that program got into the wrong hands?"

Ash walks over to them and asks, "Excuse me, is something wrong?"

The man and woman turn to Ash. The man says, "I wish I could say no, but that wouldn't be true. It would seem that someone stole a top secret program for an app in development for the Pokéssistant."

Brenda asks, "Do you work here?"

As if forgetting his problems, the man laughs. "Do I work here!? Why I own this company! I'm Mr. Stevens, the president of the Pokéssistant Company."

Brock asks, "What was the app that was stolen?"

The woman answers, "It's an app that my team's been working on for a while now. It's supposed to be means of inducing self-hypnosis, using a technique similar to Hypno's Hypnosis. It was meant to help people do things like lose weight, or break bad habits."

Mr. Stevens chimes in, "You can imagine what might be done with it in the wrong hands; it could be used as some sort of mind control device."

Brock nods. "That is bad."

The woman says, "By the way, I'm Sarah. Does there happen to be a reason you came here today?"

Brenda nods. "We wanted to take the tour you were offering."

Mr. Stevens shakes his head. "Sadly, due to the break-in, I'll have to postpone all tours until further notice."

Ash asks, "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Not anything more than reporting anything unusual or shady in the way of Pokéssistants."

Brock asks, "Would handing out free apps qualify as unusual?"

This interests Mr. Stevens. "Why yes, it actually would. The Pokéssistant Company has not authorized any application giveaways for today."

Sarah asks, "Where was this giveaway?"

Ash answers, "It was right down the block from here, come on we'll show you."

* * *

They arrive at the location of the app giveaway, but it's completely deserted. Mr. Stevens states, "Well, it would appear that we missed them."

Sarah asks, "What did these people say about their app?"

Brock answers, "They said it was some sort of game."

Mr. Stevens and Sarah look at each other and nod. Sarah explains, "The app works by first priming your mind for the hypnosis by having you complete a series of tasks. This could be advertised as a game, with the players not even knowing they're going into the first stage of hypnosis. Then, if the thieves wanted to, they could remotely issue commands using the programs hypnosis subroutines. This could be bad."

Ash asks, "Is there anything you can do to stop it?"

Sarah answers, "Nothing short of a recall of Pokéssistants that have downloaded the app, but there's no way of knowing if we'd gotten all of them."

Mr. Stevens adds, "Not to mention how bad it would look for the company."

Brock wonders, "There's got to be some way that you can shut down the program. Is there anything you could do at all?"

Sarah thinks for a moment. "Well…there are really only two things the thief could do. They could preprogram some sort of subliminal command to automatically play via the app. But, that would have to be a one-time use, one-size-fits-all approach. The best answer would actually be to set up a remote command center, via which messages can be broadcasted to all those with the app. If that is their chosen approach, we could very well track the broadcast to its source."

Mr. Stevens exclaims, "Sarah, I knew I was a genius for hiring you!"

She looks at him oddly. "Um…thank you sir?"

"You're welcome." He looks to Ash and friends. "Maybe you three would like to help us in our little stakeout, as you've been so helpful already."

Ash exclaims, "Yeah, we'll help you out!"

Pikachu agrees, "Pika!"

* * *

It's nighttime. Team Rocket is situated in a large alleyway of Kanaveral City. All around them is an assortment of equipment. Meowth states, "Whoever came up with this whole hypnosis plan must have been some kind of genius."

James comments, "But that would be you."

Meowth pretends a like he's just realizing that. "Oh yeah."

Jessie commands, "Alright you two, it's time to begin our broadcast, I'm sure plenty of trainers have downloaded and tried our app by now."

* * *

The boy from earlier at the mall is walking down a street, using his Pokéssistant. He says to himself, "Man, that game was incredibly lame. Oh well, I guess you get what you pay for." He laughs. Suddenly the display on his Pokéssistant changes. It now shows the image of a Hypno swinging its pendulum back and forth. An odd staic-like sound can be heard. The boy begins to complain, "Hey, what gives…" but trails off as he falls into a trance-like state. He turns around and walks in the opposite direction.

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, Mr. Stevens, and Sarah are in a room full of computers. Sarah is sitting at one, while everyone else is gathered around them. She is constantly typing something. She remarks, "I've been scanning frequencies for hours now, and still no result. It is possible that the thief won't even make his move tonight."

Mr. Stevens declares, "It does not matter. We have no way of knowing when this will happen, it could be any time, so we must keep looking."

Suddenly a static-like sound is heard. Ash asks, "What's that?"

Sarah exclaims, "I'd recognize that sound anywhere! It's the subliminal messaging sound. Let's see if I can make it audible, it might give us a clue who these people are."

She presses a few buttons, and the noise turns to voices. James' voice says, "That's right, if you're a Pokémon trainer, you're going to come over here and give us all of your rarest and best Pokémon." Ash, Brock, and Brenda look at each other with surprise.

Jessie suddenly declares, "Hey, get out of the way, you're being a microphone hog. It was my beautiful voice that was meant to be broadcasted to all my adoring fans anyways." She then proceeds to attempt to sing, however poorly, "Attention all trainers! We need your Pokémon, bring them to the large alleyway near the intersection of Blastoise Boulevard and Charizard Avenue!" After a moment she asks, "Do you want an encore? Okay-"

She is suddenly cut off by an invasive, "Wobbuffet!"

Sarah turns it off. Mr. Stevens declares, "Come on, I know exactly where that alley is!" They hurry off.

* * *

After running all the way there, the group makes it to Team Rocket. Jessie is singing some nonsense into a microphone while James and Meowth are collecting a Pokéball from a kid. Meowth says, "Thank you, come again," as the kid walks off. James puts the Pokéball in a bag full of Pokéballs.

Ash shouts, "Team Rocket, give back those Pokéballs!"

Team Rocket all look up in surprise.

Mr. Stevens declares, "Who do you think you are, stealing my technology and using it to steal Pokémon!?"

Jessie and James laugh. Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble, you are getting very sleepy!"

James declares, "Make it double, hypnosis is actually quite creepy!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket induces mass hypnosis at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, our control is tight!"

"Meowth that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash shouts, "I should have known you were behind this from the start!"

James shouts back, "Well you didn't, because you're just a twerp!" He throws a Pokéball. "Show him what I mean Haking!" Haking appears.

Jessie shouts, "You too Repiv!" She lets out Repiv as well.

"Go Pikachu!" Pikachu leaps off of Ash's shoulder.

Brenda joins, "Glitterfly, go!"

"Repiv, Poison Fang!" Repiv slithers towards Pikachu.

"Counter with Iron Tail!" Pikachu attempts to knock Repiv away, but Repiv manages to slither around and bite down on Pikachu.

"Haking, use Sludge Bomb!" Haking launches several globules of muck at Glitterfly.

"Dodge, and use Signal Beam!" Glitterfly flies upwards, avoiding the attack, and then launches one of its own, hitting Haking.

"Pikachu, get out of there with Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaa chuuuuu!" Pikachu's electrical attack causes Repiv to lose its grip with its mouth, Pikachu is sent into the air.

"Follow it up with Electro Ball!"

"Pii pika chu!" The orb of electricity impacts its target.

Jessie shouts with anger, "Don't let a twerp do that to you! Use Poison Sting!" Repiv unleashes many pins of poisonous energy.

James shouts, "The same goes for you Haking! Fight back with Tackle!" Haking flings itself towards Glitterfly and hits.

"Send it back with Sparkling Flare!" Glitterfly unleashes a torrent of sparks, which send Haking flying away."

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu uses its speed to avoid the Poison Sting and then rams into Repiv, also sending it back. "And now, let's finish it off with Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaa chuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu sends an intense electrical attack at Team Rocket and their Pokémon, which launches them into the air.

As they're flying off, Jessie cries, "Why must the ones who are the most talented be the ones who are least recognized?"

Meowth laughs. "You think that was singing!? You must be the one who was hypnotized!"

James adds, "Forget hypnosis, we should torture people with your voice until they give us their Pokémon."

They all sing at once, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Back on the ground, Sarah runs over to the bag of Pokéballs. "It looks like they're all here."

Mr. Stevens declares, "That's great! First thing tomorrow morning, we'll put out a bulletin on the recall of those apps and deliver these Pokéballs back to their owners." He turns to Ash and friends, "Thank you so much for your help, I don't know what we would have done without you."

Ash replies, "Don't worry about it, we're kind of like professionals at stopping those guys." They all laugh.

* * *

It's the next morning in the Pokéssistant Company building. There is a line of people out the door. In the front of the line is Mr. Stevens and Sarah handing out Pokéballs. Ash and friends stand with them. The next in line is the boy from before. Sarah hands him his Pokéball. The boy says, "Thank you so much, I don't know what I would've done without my Pokémon. I would have never been able to battle again."

Ash asks, "Hey, didn't you say that no one battles for real anymore?"

The boys laughs. "I guess I did. But being separated from my Pokémon reminded me of the times we used to have before I got the Pokéssistant. Maybe I will go back to real battles now."

Ash is happy with this statement. "That's great."

Brock comments, "Technology can be a wondrous thing, but too much of anything can be bad. It's best to find a point of balance."

The boy nods. "I realize that now." He waves goodbye and runs off.

Mr. Stevens turns to the group and says, "By the way, I have something I wanted to give to you as thanks for all you've done for me." He pulls out a brand new Pokéssistant."

Brenda exclaims, "Wow, that's a Model Five, isn't it!? Those aren't even on the market yet!"

Mr. Stevens nods. "Yes, it's one of the perks of being the guy who invented the Pokéssistant. I'm sorry that I only have one to give."

Brock takes it. "One is more than enough sir, thank you."

Ash and Brenda also thank him.

_So it would seem that today it was our heroes who taught a lesson, rather than learned one. Still in the heart of Kanaveral City, what could be next for our heroes? Find out, next time, as the journey continues…_

**To Be Continued...**


	17. Episode 17: The Team Scheme

Episode 17: The Team Scheme

Team Rocket is in some sort of abandoned warehouse. They are tiptoeing through the dark, with only Meowth's flashlight to guide them. James asks, "Do you really think we'll find anything in here?" Meowth and Jessie both shush him.

They creep for a few more moments. Jessie states, "We can't be far now." James and Meowth shush her.

A little while longer, and Meowth finally says, "Ladies and Gentlemen…and you two, I present to you, the future of Team Rocket!" Jessie and James shush him, but he jumps behind them and hits them on the back of their heads with a fan. They all look up. Towering above them is a massive robot. Most of it is covered by shadows, so not much of it can be seen. What can be seen, emblazoned on its chest is a large P, the emblem of Team Planetary.

* * *

_Our heroes continue their visit through the grand city of Kanaveral. It would appear that some are enjoying this trip more than others._

Ash is sitting at a table at yet another food court at yet another mall. He and Pikachu look bored. Brenda walks by, she's carrying a large stack of boxes and bags. She says to Ash, "Come on Ash, can't you at least pretend to enjoy yourself? Even Brock has found something to do." Brock is standing outside a clothes shop. Every time a girl walks out, he proclaims his love to her. The girls all just walk away, staring oddly at him.

Ash sighs, "This is the sixth mall we've been to today, then there were all the ones from yesterday too. I want to get back on the road, find something to do, figure out where my next gym battle will be."

"Sorry Ash, but you know, you don't have to wait here for me. You could go out and explore the city."

Pikachu's ears perk up. "Pik?"

Ash nods. "I guess I could." He gets up. "Come on Pikachu, let's go find something more interesting to do." He and Pikachu run out.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu are now walking through the streets of Kanaveral. Off in the distance, a rocket ship can be seen peeking up over some buildings. Ash suggests, "Hey Pikachu, why don't we go to the Cape Space Center? That could be interesting."

Pikachu nods. "Pika."

"Alright, let's go!" They run off towards the rocket.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu make it to their destination. They're out of the main city, and all around them is the sprawling complexes of the Cape Space Center. Ash approaches the main building and walks in.

At a front desk in the entry lobby is a female receptionist. She asks, "Hello, and welcome to the Cape Space Center. May I ask your reason for visiting us today?"

Ash replies, "This is my first time in Kanaveral City. Pikachu and I were hoping for a tour."

"I'm sorry, but you just missed the last tour of the day. It left ten minutes ago."

Ash hangs his head. "Oh…"

The voice of a man suddenly booms, "My boy, would you happen to be a Pokémon Trainer?"

Ash perks up. "Yes, I am." He looks in the direction of the voice. Standing on the other side of the room is a large, muscular, and heavy-built man. He is older, and has graying hair that might have once been black. He wears a white and gray jumpsuit and heavy boots. Ash asks, "Why?"

The man looks Ash over. "I've seen your type before. Let me guess, you came to Kanaveral because you wanted to challenge the Kanaveral Gym."

Ash nods. "Yeah, how'd you guess?"

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name's Neil. I'm the Kanaveral City Gym Leader."

Ash is surprised. "Really!? My name is Ash, I'm from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika!"

Neil nods. "Nice to meet you Ash and Pikachu. I'm sorry I can't accept your challenge. I've been so busy with the upcoming rocket launch that I just couldn't focus on running the gym."

Ash nods, "I understand."

"How about I make it up to you. I've got a little bit of free time, I'll show you around."

"That would be great!"

Neil turns around and puts on an overcoat. The coat is covered in various patches, each showing various space-themed pictures.

Ash asks, "Hey, what do all those patches mean?"

Neil smiles, "Obviously you've never heard of me."

Ash shakes his head. "No, I don't think I have."

Neil is obviously happy to tell his story. "I am perhaps one of the most famous astronauts to ever live. Have you ever heard of that little thing called the Moon Landing?"

Ash looks very surprised. "You landed on the Moon!?"

"I was the very first. After that, I went on to go into space another twenty times at least, doing a great many feats. Each of these patches represent a different mission I went on."

Ash is in awe. "Do you still travel to space?"

"Sadly, no. I've settled to just running the Space Center. I leave all that stuff to the younger astronauts."

Ash notices another patch, one more meaningful than any other. On his upper arm is the emblem of Team Planetary. Ash asks is shock, "Wait, why are you wearing that!?"

Neil looks to the patch that Ash pointed out. He looks confused. "Well why wouldn't I? I do work for Team Planetary after all."

"Why would you work for Team Planetary!?"

Neil laughs. "You must be joking, right? Team Planetary owns the Tenno Space Program. If it wasn't for them, we never would have landed on the Moon."

"That…can't be."

Neil laughs again. "You must be new to the Tenno Region. Team Planetary is the reason that this region is at the forefront of technology and space travel. They're chuck full of geniuses who turn out new inventions that help the world all the time."

"I've encountered Team Planetary twice now. Both times they have proven themselves to be little more than thieves. They stole a Starter Pokémon from Professor Pine's lab!"

Neil laughs again. "Okay, I get it. This_ is_ a joke."

Ash shakes his head. "No, I swear, this is no joke. I'm completely serious."

Neil looks Ash over. "I feel you've been misled my boy. Why don't I give you that tour, and on the way I'll show you Planetary Headquarters. Maybe we can clear up your misconception."

Ash reluctantly says, "Alright."

* * *

Team Rocket is still at the base of the massive robot. Meowth says, "Alright, I think we should call this one into The Boss."

James nods. "Good idea." Out of a pack of supplies he's carrying, he pulls out a laptop.

He opens it and puts it on a nearby table. They gather around it and turn it on. After a few moments, Giovanni's image appears on the screen. He's wearing his traditional orange suit and Persian is on his lap. Meowth shouts, "Greetings from the Tenno Region your bossliness!"

Giovanni grunts upon seeing who it is. He demands, "What are you fools doing in the Tenno Region?"

James answers, "Why we're conquering it in your name. We told your aide to tell you that last time we tried to call you."

Giovanni rubs his forehead with irritation. "Normally, it is I who tells Team Rocket operatives where they are to go, and currently you three imbeciles are assigned to manual labor at our Viridian HQ. Can you not even do that?"

Jessie responds, "We can explain sir. That special Pikachu you want so badly is here, so we just had to follow it." Giovanni doesn't respond. He just looks annoyed.

Meowth says, "Anyways though, we found something even better! Upon reaching Tenno, we quickly discovered that the main obstacle to conquering the region will be an organization known as Team Planetary."

Giovanni looks up. "Did you say Team Planetary?"

Meowth nods. "Yeah, we managed to beat them on our first encounter, and then another time only a couple of days ago."

Giovanni appears intrigued. "Really? You've managed to defeat Team Planetary twice?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth look at each other for a short moment and then all answer, "Of course!"

"I have been attempting to get agents into Tenno for months now in order to fight Team Planetary, the greatest threat to Team Rocket's criminal dominance, but Team Planetary has blocked all attempts. Now you're telling me that you three have not only made it into the region, but made it through encounters with Team Planetary?"

They all nod. Meowth states, "That actually brings us to the point of why we called you. We have infiltrated a secret Team Planetary warehouse, and have discovered what can be only described as a superweapon. From what we can tell, it's a prototype for something called Operation Architect. We have all of the supplies we need to commandeer it and make it work for Team Rocket."

Giovanni nods. "I am actually impressed for once. Proceed with your plan. I hereby appoint you three the head of all Team Rocket activities in Tenno."

Team Rocket is shocked. Jessie stammers, "Why…th…thank you Boss."

James salutes him. "We'll make you proud."

Meowth nods. "Meowth, that's right!"

Giovanni nods. "I'm signing off." The screen goes blank.

In Giovanni's office, an assistant asks, "Sir, are you really going to trust those three with such an important job?"

Giovanni pets Persian. "I would never normally trust those three with such an important job, but I don't have much of a choice." He thinks for a moment. "However, get me Butch and Cassidy. If those three could get in, Butch and Cassidy should be able to as well."

Back in the warehouse, Team Rocket is looking up at the massive machine. James declares, "If those copycats of Team Planetary think they can steal our theme, let's return the favor and steal their machine!"

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon was originally a foreign Pokémon that was imported as a pet. It eventually turned up in the wild. This Pokémon is very hardy and has greatly increased its population.**

* * *

Neil has led Ash to a nearby building. Emblazoned on the front is the P insignia of Team Planetary. Neil says, "This is Team Planetary HQ, from here they command their national and global operations. Why don't you come in, and I'll show you that there's nothing to fear."

Ash reluctantly nods. They walk in. Inside is a crisp, clean, and white lobby. Team Planetary Grunts travel back and forth across the room, performing various tasks.

"See, does this look like a group of thieves to you?"

"I guess not."

Neil spots someone across the room and calls out, "Cygnus, come over here!"

A girl walks over. She wears a uniform similar to the one worn by Planetary Commander Sirius. She has long white hair. She smiles and says, "Good day Neil, what may I do for you?"

"This boy here is Ash Ketchum, he has some bizarre misconceptions about your operations here, so I thought I'd prove him wrong."

Cygnus raises an eyebrow in curiosity. "What kind of misconceptions?"

Neil looks to Ash. "This is Cygnus, she's a Commander of Team Planetary. Why don't you tell her what you've heard?"

Ash asks, "Do you have anyone working for you named Cosmo?"

For a split second, Cygnus looks surprised. She quickly regains composure. She looks like she's thinking. "Hmm…Cosmo…I can't say I've ever heard that name before."

"Are you sure? I've meet him twice now. First he stole a Sporout from Professor Pine's lab, then he stole Meteoric Shards from the Horizoport Meteorite Museum. Both times he had claimed to be doing it in the name of Team Planetary, and he had the backing of your grunts here." Ash beckons to the grunts walking about.

Cygnus puts on a smile that is obviously fake. "I assure you, this is probably some sort of prank or misconception. Team Planetary had nothing to do with these events." She looks back to Neil. "I'm sorry, but I have a very busy schedule to keep and must be off."

Neil nods. "Of course Cygnus. Have a nice day." Cygnus walks off. He looks back to Ash. "I hope that that convinced you."

Ash seems uncertain. "I guess so…"

* * *

**It's Corphish!**

* * *

A dimly lit room is shown. There is a desk with a man sitting at it. Due to the lighting of sunset, only the man's silhouette can be seen. Cygnus walks in and salutes. "Sir, I have news to report."

The man, who is facing away from her, looking at the view of the rocket out his window, says without turning, "What is it?"

Cygnus' entire personality seems to change, as she becomes much more hostile. "Neil brought in some brat."

"I fail to see why this matters."

"It matters because he was asking too many questions. He was asking questions about your little pet, Cosmo. The brat apparently saw him committing crimes on two different occasions."

"And this matters why?"

Cygnus seems annoyed. "Because if this one brat has discovered the truth, who knows how many others have! I've been telling you from the start that giving your pet so much freedom to operate was a bad idea, and now I'm being proved right!"

The man declares angrily, "How dare you question my decision!? Cosmo is the future of Team Planetary! One kid knowing the truth is insignificant! Tell me, does Neil believe him?"

"No sir, not at all. He remains as ignorant as ever."

"Then we have nothing to fear. Leave me now."

"Yes sir." Cygnus salutes and then turns around to leave.

* * *

It's now nighttime. Ash and Neil are returning to the original building. Neil asks, "Did you enjoy the tour?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, there was some pretty cool stuff."

"I'm sorry I couldn't spare the time to battle you. You should keep an eye on the news. Almost as soon as the rocket launch is over, I should have the gym back up and running."

"Alright, I will." Ash notices Brock and Brenda off in the distance. "Thank you very much for the tour, I'd better get going."

"Of course, it was my pleasure."

Ash runs off and joins back up with Brock and Brenda. Brock asks, "How was your day Ash?"

"Pretty good. A little confusing though."

Brenda asks, "How come?"

"It's about Team Planetary. They-"

Just as Ash is about to tell his story, there is a loud crashing noise. The group looks towards the source, a nearby building. Through the roof breaks out the massive robot discovered by Team Rocket. Standing fully erect, it is almost as tall as the shorter of the skyscrapers in the city. It is roughly humanoid in shape, but seems to be not complete in construction, missing some armor in most places and having exposed parts in others. It is over all clunky in appearance. The Planetary P on its chest has been painted over by the Rocket R. Standing on each of its shoulders are Jessie and James.

Brenda exclaims, "What's that!?"

Ash points to it. "It's Team Rocket!"

Brock asks, "How'd they get a robot that big!?"

The robot begins marching towards the city. Jessie declares, "Prepare for big time trouble!"

James continues, "Make it a gigantic double!"

"To destroy this city with a giant mech!"

"To flawlessly show off our stolen tech!"

"To denounce the evils of Team Planetary!"

"To prove they aren't even the slightest bit scary!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket conquers all at the speed of light!"

"Surrender to our robot or prepare to fight!"

Meowth pops out on top of the head. "Meowth, that's right!"

Wobbuffet appears next to Jessie. "Wobba!"

Mime Jr. appears on James' shoulder, standing there like James stands on the robot. "Mime mime!"

The robot reaches the city and smashes its arm into a building, collapsing it.

An impromptu police barrier has been set up by Officer Jenny and a handful of other police officers. Through a megaphone, Officer Jenny shouts, "Stop right where you are!"

Jessie laughs. "Or you'll do what!?" The robot bends over and swipes its hand at the police. They all jump, getting out of the way just in time. Jessie laughs some more.

Brock shouts, "Jenny!"

Ash says, "This is awful! We have to stop them!" He looks to Pikachu. "Try a Thunderbolt."

Pikachu nods, then leaps into the air. "Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes its strongest Thunderbolt. It merely hits the robot and glances off.

James turns around and looks at them. "Oh look, it's the Twerps, and not even their Pikachu can stop this giant machine!"

Meowth declares, "I know an opportunity when I see one!" A grappling hook shoots out of the back of the robot and grabs Pikachu.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

After being drawn in, Pikachu is locked up in some sort of clear capsule. Pikachu tries to break free with Thunderbolt. "Pikaaa chuuuuu!" It does nothing.

Jessie explains, "That capsule is meant to withhold the extremes of space, just as the rest of this robot is! You'll never get out!"

Neil comes running over to the group. He asks in a panic, "What's going on here!?"

Brock answers, "That's Team Rocket, they somehow managed to get their hands on this robot from that building over there."

Neil looks in the direction Brock points. "That's the Planetary Warehouse! Team Planetary store many of their experimental projects there. It's top secret."

Brock and Brenda exclaim in unison, "Team Planetary!?"

Ash says, "I'll explain later." He looks up to Neil. "Do you know anything about this robot, a way to stop it maybe?"

Neil shakes his head. "I'm never seen or heard of this thing before."

The robot destroys another building. Jessie declares, "People of Kanaveral, bow before your new rulers!"

Neil continues, "We have no option but to fight it!" He throws a Pokéball. "Go, Klinklang!"

Brenda takes out her Pokédex. "Klinklang, the Gear Pokémon, and a Steel-Type. Klinklang's body are composed of the highest grade steel. They must constantly turn their gears in order to survive. They constantly polish themselves to avoid clogging. Klinklang evolves from Klang at level 49."

Neil commands, "Klinklang, Hyper Beam!" Neil's Pokémon spins its gears at high speeds and creates a beam of energy that fires at the back of Team Rocket's robot. It does little to no damage. "Come on, we have to get closer!" They all run towards the robot.

Once closer, Ash declares, "Alright, let's try this out!" He throws a Pokéball, releasing Turcell. "Turcell, use Molten Slag and melt its legs!"

"Turrrr cellll!" The Pokémon launches several globules of molten materials at the robot's feet. The slag hits, but just falls off, doing no damage at all.

Neil realizes, "Team Planetary must have built that thing for space travel, maybe even for travel close to the sun. That Molten Slag may be hot, but nowhere near hot enough to melt through."

Brenda asks, "Then how do we stop it?"

Neil commands, "Try Zap Cannon Klinklang!" The Pokémon launches its electrical attack at the robot, once again doing nothing.

Jessie sticks out her tongue at them. "Ha ha, you can't touch us!"

Brock throws his Pokéball, letting out Blissey. "Blissey use Strength and try to tip the robot!" Blissey glows with white energy as it runs towards the robot. It rams into it and pushes with all its strength, but even that isn't enough.

Neil suggests, "Let's all try at once! Attack one of the weak points! Klinklang, Hyper Beam!"

Ash shouts, "Turcell, Molten Slag!"

Brock shouts, "Egg Bomb!"

Brenda throws a Pokéball, letting out Kappaqua. "Kappaqua, Aqua Bomb!"

The four attacks all hit the same point on the robot's leg, in a spot missing armor. The robot shakes, but little else happens.

The robot's torso pivots on its waist, turning 180 degrees, and swats its arm down, knocking back the Pokémon. It then turns back around and knocks over another building.

Brenda says in desperation, "It's hopeless. This thing is unbeatable."

Suddenly a valiant voice declares, "No situation is ever hopeless, no enemy ever unbeatable!"

Everyone looks up in the direction of the voice. Standing on top of a skyscraper near the robot is a silhouette. The figure steps forward. It is a tall, slim, but fit man dressed in the outfit of a ninja. All of his head except his eyes are covered by a black mask. On his back are two swords in sheaths and there's a tool belt around his waist. On one side of the belt are six Pokéballs. Neil murmurs with awe, "It's him…"

Jessie and James crack up laughing. Jessie asks, "Is it Halloween already!?"

James shouts, "No, I don't believe it is!"

Without even acknowledging them, the man takes a Pokéball off his belt and throws. "Ninjato, emerge from the shadows!" A similarly ninja-themed Pokémon emerges from the ball. It is completely black, almost as if made from shadows. It is a slim Pokémon, apparently built for speed and agility. It seems to wear a mask, which is tied off behind its head, which leaves streamers flying in the wind behind it. It stands in the pose of a ninja about to perform a Ninja Art.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex this time. "Ninjato, the Shinobi Pokémon, and a Dark and Fighting Combo-Type. Ninjato are experts in fighting in the shadows. They can create some of the sharpest blades out of pure shadows, which they wield with great skill. In the ancient past, they fought side by side with ninjas. Ninjato evolves from Ninjitsu by leveling up while holding the Ninja Scrolls."

The ninja commands, "Ninjato, Night Slash!" The ninja Pokémon creates two blades out of shadows and wields them in a reverse grip. It jumps into the air towards the robot. It first lands on top of Pikachu's capsule, and slashes through the mechanism that's binding it. The capsule opens, and Pikachu falls out.

Ash runs forwards and catches Pikachu.

Ninjato then disappears in a burst of speed. It reappears for only a second as it slashes its sword through both kneecaps of the robot. It then disappears again, only to reappear next to the ninja.

Meowth laughs. "Ha, it looks like your attack didn't do a thing!" There is a suddenly groan from the machine. Meowth's eyes go wide. The entire robot falls down from its own weight, collapsing on the floor. Team Rocket look at each other nervously.

The ninja declares, "Now, Lunar Beam!" Ninjato disappears in another burst of speed. It reappears in front of Team Rocket. They look terrified. Ninjato gathers energy from the Moon, and sends a beam of it right at Team Rocket, causing them to fly into the sky.

While flying off, Jessie asks, "Our plan was perfect, what went wrong!?"

Meowth responds, "Oh, I don't know…maybe a ninja!"

James demands, "Who does that guy think he is!? Showing up from the shadows out of nowhere! What does he think he is!?"

Meowth gives the same answer, "I don't know…maybe a ninja!"

They all shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Back at the ground, the ninja returns his Pokémon to its ball. He declares, "People of Kanaveral, you are safe now! And know that you always will be, as long as I, the Guardian, am here!" He disappears into the shadows.

The city cheers. Ash asks, "Who was that guy?"

Neil answers, "As you just heard, he calls himself the Guardian. He shows up from time to time around the region. He acts like he's some sort of superhero. He uses his own ninja training, as well as his team of ninja-themed Pokémon to protect the people of Tenno."

Brenda is in awe. "Wow, that guy is great."

Brock agrees. "Very powerful."

Ash states, "I'd love to have a battle with that guy someday."

* * *

Some time has passed. It's daytime again. The city is still wrecked from the previous night's attack, but repairs are already underway. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are standing with Neil at the edge of the city. Neil says, "If I may make a suggestion, there is a gym in Atmos City, not too far from here. It should be open." Neil smiles.

Ash smiles back. "Thanks Neil. I'm looking forward to battling you."

Neil nods. "And I look forward to battling you."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda begin to walk away. Brock has pulled out the Pokéssistant. He says, "Hey guys, look at this."

On the screen, a press conference is playing. Speaking is Cygnus. She says, "I assure you, Team Planetary had nothing to do with last night's attack. That robot was an experimental prototype for a probe that was supposed to fly to the sun and collect samples. It was never meant to be used as a weapon. We grieve that our technology was the cause of so much destruction." Many reporters try to ask questions. Cygnus states, "No further questions will be taken at this time." She walks off stage.

Ash shakes his head. "I don't believe them. That thing had to be designed as some sort of weapon."

Brock nods. "It would appear that Team Planetary has too great of a grip over the public. That's not safe."

Brenda nods. "It scares me." They three walk on

_And now that our heroes have learned that the sinister Team Planetary is more dangerous than ever, who knows what the future could hold? And who is this mysterious Guardian? Will our heroes cross paths with him again? You know how to get the answers to these questions…_

* * *

Cygnus walks into the same room as before. The man is left out of view, but is in the same location as before. Cygnus states, "I hate putting on those public performances, all the smiling I have to do hurts."

The man replies, "You will do what you have to do to further our plans."

Cygnus asks, "And what of Operation Architect?"

"It is a shame that we have lost our prototype, but the plan can go on. We will have to start from scratch on a new Titan, but that is of little concern. We have plenty of time and resources."

Cygnus nods. "The plan will go on."

The Narrator finishes ominously, _Stay tuned…_

**To Be Continued…**


	18. Episode 18: It Keeps Going, Going, Gone!

Episode 18: It Keeps Going, Going, Gone!

_We join our heroes at the first leg of their trip to Atmos City, and they seem to be taking a break for a well-deserved picnic lunch._

As explained, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and all of their Pokémon are gathered around a picnic table. The Pokémon are all eating Pokémon food while Brock is serving sandwiches to Ash and Brenda. Brock says, "There's plenty to go around, so dig in!"

Ash and Brenda both say excitedly, "Oh boy!" as they dig into their food.

Brenda states between bites, "Your food is so good Brock, I don't know how I ever went without it!"

Brock, who's taking a sandwich for himself, responds, "Oh it's nothing that special."

Ash laughs. "You're joking Brock, no one makes food better than yours!"

Pikachu nods in agreement as it reaches to pick up another piece of food. "Pika." Pikachu accidently drops its piece of Pokémon food, which then proceeds to roll towards some bushes.

Brenda points out, "Hey, look at that!" She points towards the bushes, from which a Pokémon emerges. The Pokémon bears a resemblance to a fluffy, yellow rabbit. It has orange spots on each of its cheeks, and black tips on the top of its ears. It has a black cotton-like tail as well. It curiously sniffs at the dropped Pokémon food and then picks it up and eats it.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "I've never seen that Pokémon before."

"Rabbolt, the Electric Rabbit Pokémon, and an Electric-Type. Rabbolt generate static electricity in their fluffy tails, which is then stored in the electric pouches. The electricity it charges can be used to protect itself. When a group of Rabbolt are threatened, they will simultaneously release all of their stored energy, effectively fending off any predator. Rabbolt does not Evolve."

Brenda comments, "Hey, it kind of looks like Pikachu!"

Brock nods. "You're right."

Ash looks confused. "I don't see what you mean. It looks nothing like Pikachu."

Rabbolt cautiously approaches the group. Brenda says, "Hey, it looks like you have another fan of your cooking Brock."

"Yeah, it would seem so." He looks at Rabbolt. "There's plenty for you if you'd like some."

Rabbolt approaches Pikachu's food bowl and sniffs it. "Rab?"

Pikachu picks up a piece of food and offers it to Rabbolt. "Pika."

Brock observes, "Aww, that's cute." The three turn back to their food for a moment.

As soon as all human eyes are off it, Rabbolt's cute and innocent look turns into a scowl. It slaps the food out of Pikachu's hand and then starts eating out of Pikachu's bowl. Pikachu says in shock, "Pik!?" Pikachu then pushes Rabbolt back.

Rabbolt for a moment grins mischievously, and then suddenly starts to cry, "Rabbolt!"

Brenda looks over and scolds, "Pikachu, where are your manners?"

Pikachu looks shocked. "Pik!?" Pikachu realizes what just happened and then shakes its heads and arms as if to deny everything. "Chu! Pika!" He points frantically at Rabbolt. Rabbolt cries more.

Ash asks, "What happened Pikachu?"

Pikachu holds up a piece of food, and then, doing its best imitation of Rabbolt, it knocks the food out of its own hand and then goes down and starts eating the food.

Brenda walks over to Rabbolt and picks it up, attempting to comfort it. She asks, "Poor little Rabbolt, did that meanie Pikachu knock you over?" Rabbolt sniffles and nods. She looks at Ash. "Ash, you'd better tell Pikachu that that wasn't nice."

Ash looks doubtful. "I don't know, Pikachu seems to think that it wasn't that simple…"

Pikachu nods. "Pika."

Brenda pours an extra bowl of food and places it down. She then places Rabbolt down next to it. "There, why don't you just eat that, and," she picks up Pikachu and its food bowl, and moves them both to the other side of the table, away from all of the other Pokémon, "we'll just move this rude Pikachu over here."

Pikachu looks upset. It looks up to Ash in question. Ash shrugs, unsure of what to say. Pikachu sighs, "Pikkkk…" and returns to eating. Ash, Brock, and Brenda also go back to eating. Pikachu looks over towards Rabbolt. Rabbolt notices it and makes a taunting face at Pikachu by pulling down an eyelid and sticking out its tongue. Pikachu tilts its head. "Pika?"

* * *

The group has packed up after lunch. Brock asks, "Alright, are you guys ready to get a move on?"

Ash nods. "You bet." He takes out two Pokéballs. "Alright guys, return." He calls back Turcell and Apprentichick." Brock and Brenda do the same with their Pokémon. Ash lowers his arm and Pikachu jumps on.

Rabbolt notices this. As if not to be outdone, Rabbolt jumps up and lands on Brenda's shoulders. Brenda looks at it with surprise. "Hi there, do you want to travel with us for a little bit?"

Rabbolt smiles and nods. "Rabbolt!"

Pikachu sighs. "Chuuuu…"

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon makes a hole in a suitable rock. If that rock breaks, the Pokémon remains agitated until it locates a replacement.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are now hiking down a trail, heading towards the next town. They don't notice it, but Team Rocket's balloon is floating right behind them. James is straining his eyes to get a good look at them. He asks, "Is it just me, or am I seeing double?"

Jessie looks as well. "You're right, the Twerps picked up a second Pikachu!"

James exclaims, "Two times the Pikachu means to times the reward!"

Meowth, who's looking at them via binoculars says, "Look again you morons, that's not a Pikachu!"

Jessie snatches the binoculars and takes another look. "So it isn't…what is it?"

James takes a turn. "Hmm…" He pulls out a stack of cards and searches through them. He stops at a card. "Aha, that's it. According to this, that Pokémon is a Rabbolt. They may be similar to a Pikachu, but they're actually completely different."

Meowth sums up, "So it wouldn't be worth our time to try to catch it."

Jessie nods. "Then it's back to our original plan, let's nab that Pikachu!"

James and Meowth nod in agreement, and both say, "Right!"

Meowth asks, "Do you guys remember the plan?" Jessie and James nod.

The balloon lowers and James throws a Pokéball. "Go Haking! Use Smokescreen!"

James' Pokémon appears. "Hak Haking hak!" Haking lets out a cloud of dark smoke, making it impossible to see.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda can be heard coughing. Brock asks, "Hey, what gives!?"

Within a few moments, the smoke clears, and Team Rocket can be seen flying away, carrying a bag. Jessie shouts, "Guess who just won for once!" They fly out of sight.

Ash looks to Brock and Brenda and asks, "What just happened?" He looks to his shoulder, which still contains Pikachu. Brock shrugs.

Brenda realizes something is wrong. She shouts, "They took Rabbolt right off my shoulder!"

Ash laughs. "It looks like they grabbed the wrong Pokémon!" Pikachu joins his laughter.

Brenda asserts, "We have to rescue Rabbolt! It may not be my Pokémon, but it was under my care when Team Rocket took it. We can't let them get away with this!"

Brock nods. "I agree. No Pokémon should be stolen by the likes of Team Rocket."

Ash looks to Pikachu. "What do you think buddy?" Pikachu sighs and reluctantly nods.

* * *

**It's Dwebble!**

* * *

Team Rocket has landed their balloon in a craggy canyon. James holds up a bag with triumph. He proclaims, "Behold, I present to you the future of Team Rocket!"

Meowth and Jessie clap. Meowth shouts, "Bravo!"

Jessie cheers, "We win!"

James places the sack down on the floor in between them. "Now, let's just take a little looksee at our destiny."

He opens that sack, revealing Rabbolt inside of it. It tilts its head and looks at them quizzically. "Rab? Bolt?"

Team Rocket's victory celebration is instantly cut short. Jessie states, "James…that's not a Pikachu…"

Meowth is furious. He uses Furry Swipes on James' face and shouts, "You grabbed the wrong bag! What are you, blind!?"

James sulks, "To be fair, my Haking is a little too good at what it does. Not that I would ever blame my precious Haking."

Jessie shouts, "Then it's your fault!"

Rabbolt just watches with curiosity.

James is still slowly backing away from the others, who stomp towards him angrily. "Now come on guys, let's not do anything we'll regret."

Jessie replies, "Maybe you should have thought about that before you screwed up!"

James looks at Rabbolt and suddenly inspiration crosses his face. "Hey guys, I've got an idea!"

Jessie and Meowth stop. Meowth asks, "And what would this idea be?"

James leans in and whispers something to the other two. They nod, apparently pleased. Jessie says, "That might just be crazy enough to work."

Team Rocket returns their attention to Rabbolt, looking at it menacingly. Rabbolt appears scared and confused. "Rabbolt?"

Team Rocket leaps at Rabbolt and in a hurry that creates a large dust cloud that obscures their actions. After a series of quick movements, they jump out of the way. Rabbolt, looking more confused than ever, now sits on the floor in between them, it now has yellow cones over its ears and a paper tail that resembles Pikachu's taped to its back. "Bolt?"

James declares, "And voila! Instant Pikachu!" Jessie and Meowth both looked thrilled.

Rabbolt scratches its head, causing one of the fake ears to fall off. Team Rocket's joy instantly subsides. Meowth states, "Well…so much for that…" Rabbolt shakes off its other accessories. Jessie and James sigh.

From behind a rock, a Pachirisu walks into view. It looks around, trying to figure out what's going on. Rabbolt notices its presence and hops over to it. Pachirisu says, "Pachi pa!"

Rabbolt replies, "Rabbolt!"

James asks, "Meowth, what are they saying?"

Meowth responds, "Pachirisu is greeting Rabbolt as a fellow Electric-Type buddy, while Rabbolt responded likewise."

Pachirisu smiles. "Pachi pachi!"

Rabbolt suddenly changes its demeanor and attacks Pachirisu with and electric jolt. Pachirisu runs away frightened by the sudden attack, but not appearing hurt. Rabbolt laughs. "Rab rab rab rab rab!" Rabbolt pulls down and eyelid and sticks out its tongue, like it did to Pikachu earlier.

Team Rocket is surprised by the sudden change in Rabbolt's attitude. Rabbolt turns back around towards Team Rocket and smiles. Meowth asks, "What was that?"

Rabbolt answers, "Rab Rabbolt rab bolt rab."

Meowth translates, "Apparently Rabbolt will be nice and friendly towards most, but if it sees another Pokémon that's an Electric-Type, especially one that is of similar shape and size to it, it turns all competitive and mischievous. It sees them as a rival."

James states, "That's odd."

Jessie seems to have had an idea. She pulls James and Meowth to the side. She whispers, "Guys that gives me an idea. I'd say that Pikachu qualifies as Pokémon that looks similar Rabbolt. Maybe we can use that competitive nature of its to help us capture Pikachu."

James exclaims, "Great idea!"

Meowth adds, "You're a genius Jess!"

Team Rocket then moves to gather around Rabbolt. Jessie, using a fake sounding, affectionate voice, offers, "Hey my little cutie Rabbolt, I happen to know a pesky little Pokémon that you wouldn't like, a Pikachu to be specific. Why don't you join up with us, and you can help us beat it."

Rabbolt thinks for a couple of moments, and then nods. "Rabbolt!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth grin devilishly.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have made it to the craggy area. Brenda calls out, "Rabbolt, where are you!?"

Brock shouts, "Rabbolt!"

Ash looks up and notices something. He points up and says, "Guys, look!" They all look up and up above them is Team Rocket's balloon. It begins to land, but Team Rocket cannot be seen in it. Suddenly Jessie leaps out and declares, "Prepare for trouble in an unexpected way!"

James pops out as well. "And make it double, this will keep you at bay!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender Pikachu or prepare to fight!"

Meowth also leaps out and begins, "Meowth that's-!"

Rabbolt leaps onto Meowth's head and interrupts, "Rabbolt!"

Brenda gasps, "Rabbolt, what are you doing!?"

Meowth, recovering from Rabbolt, says, "Can't you tell? Rabbolt's now officially a member of Team Rocket!"

Brenda gasps again. "No! Why would you help them Rabbolt!?"

Ash shouts, "Who cares!? Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leaps off of Ash's shoulder and launches his electric attack. "Pikaaaa chuuuuuuu!"

Jessie simply states, "Counter it Rabbolt."

Rabbolt jumps forward and launches an electric attack of its own, this one is a pulse-like burst. "Rabbbb bolttttttt!" The two attacks cancel each other. Rabbolt makes its face at Pikachu.

Brock exclaims, "That Shockwave just matched Pikachu's Thunderbolt!"

James laughs. "With our newest Team Rocket cadet, we'll be unstoppable!"

Ash is annoyed. He shouts, "Try it one more time Pikachu!" Pikachu uses its Thunderbolt again, but Rabbolt cancels it with another Shockwave.

Brenda says, "I don't get it, Team Rocket kidnapped Rabbolt, why would it help them?"

Brock, seeming to remember something, says, "I think I recall reading once about Rabbolt that, while normally cute, cuddly, and sweet, their personality will change completely when they encounter a Pokémon that looks similar to them, it considers them a rival."

Brenda exclaims, "Like Pikachu!"

Meowth says, "You got that right, and now Rabbolt wants to work that rivalry out by helping us capture Pikachu!"

Jessie suggests, "Rabbolt sweetie, why don't you show these twerps how it feels to be shocked and blasted off?"

James proclaims, "It looks like the shoe's on the other foot now!"

Ash grins slyly, as if he has a clever idea. He calls out, "Hey Rabbolt, my Pikachu is the master of using its Electric-Type attacks to shock Team Rocket! I'd bet your attack wouldn't even come close to Pikachu's!"

Rabbolt thinks about this for a moment. It suddenly smiles, jumps 180 degrees and faces Team Rocket. Jessie, James, and Meowth each look shocked and terrified. Jessie stammers, "Rabbolt…my cutie…you…wouldn't want to…shock me…right?"

Rabbolt laughs and Ash shouts, "Okay Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaa chuuuuuuuu!"

Rabbolt joins in, "Rabbbbb bolttttttt!"

Team Rocket is zapped by both attacks at the same time. A resulting explosion launches them into the air. On the way up, Jessie cries, "Why would my sweet little Rabbolt turn on us!? Whose idea was it to even trust it in the first place!?"

James and Meowth both say angrily, "You did!"

Jessie laughs awkwardly. "Oh yeah…forgot about that…"

James sighs. "Speaking of forgetting, we can't forget to shout-"

They all shout together, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Back on the ground, Ash, Brock, and Brenda look happy having beaten Team Rocket again. Brenda exclaims, "Good thinking Ash, using Rabbolt's competitive nature saved the day!"

Rabbolt and Pikachu are staring at each other intensely. Brock comments, "Now we've just got to figure out what to do about those two."

Movement is suddenly heard. Everyone looks off to the left, where they see a Pachirisu step out from behind a rock. It points at Rabbolt angrily. "Pachi pa!"

Following comes a Raichu, along with a group of other Electric-Type Pokémon, including Pichu, Plusle, Minun, Emolga, and Dedenne. Raichu points angrily at Rabbolt. "Rai!"

Brenda takes out her Pokédex. "Raichu, the Mouse Pokémon and an Electric-Type. Raichu can generate thousands of volts of electricity within its own body for later use. The amount of electricity it has stored affects its personality. Raichu evolves from Pikachu with the use of a Thunder Stone."

All of the smaller Electric Pokémon form a ring around Rabbolt and Raichu. Brenda asks, "What's going on?"

Brock looks at the scene curiously. "If I had to guess, I would say that Rabbolt angered that Pachirisu with its competitive nature, so Pachirisu went to go get the help of its friends. Now Raichu is challenging Rabbolt to a battle."

Brenda exclaims, "Raichu's too powerful! There's no way Rabbolt can win this!"

Ash steps forward. "Pikachu, let's stop this, use Thunder-"

Ash is cut off as the Minum launches a warning attack at Ash's feet. It shouts, "Minum!"

Brock observes, "It would appear that they don't want us to interfere."

Raichu launches a powerful electric bolt at Rabbolt. Rabbolt leaps up into the air, dodging it. Once above Raichu, it sends several orbs of green energy towards it, each one hitting its target.

Brock exclaims, "Wow, Rabbolt just used Bounce to dodge, and then attacked with Hidden Power. I'd have to assume that its Hidden Power attack takes on the Grass-Type."

Rabbolt then comes down and lands a kick on the top of Raichu, before jumping back. Brenda watches in awe. She says to herself, "Wow, Rabbolt looks amazing…"

Raichu covers its fist in electricity for a Thunder Punch and charges towards Rabbolt, who simply leaps into the air again, kicking Raichu in face, knocking it back. Rabbolt then attacks with another Hidden Power. Raichu angrily attempts to counterattack with several Thunder Punches, but Rabbolt nimbly dodges each one. It then jumps up, going higher than before, and slams down on Raichu, while also using its Hidden Power, having both attacks hit at the exact same time. It then jumps back and makes a face at Raichu.

Raichu slightly recovers from the last series of attacks. It looks up at Rabbolt, who looks ready to launch another attack. Raichu holds up his hand, making a motion to stop. It nods at Rabbolt and then makes a motion to all the other Electric-Types, telling them to move on. They listen, and retreat back the way they came. It begins to walk off too. Before it leaves sight, it turns around and gives Rabbolt a look of respect. It then leaves.

Brock laughs. "Something tells me that Raichu isn't used to being beaten like that."

Brenda walks over to Rabbolt and kneels down next to it. She says, "Hey Rabbolt, that was some great battling you did there." Rabbolt appears bashful. "I was really impressed by the way you controlled your movements so precisely. I think you would be just great in a Pokémon Contest." Rabbolt tilts its head, as if being curious. Brenda explains, "A Pokémon Contest is a tournament where Pokémon and Coordinators compete to show off how good they look, and you'd be wonderful in one."

"Rabbolt?"

"Why don't you come with me? Then you could compete in one."

Pikachu cries in surprise, "Pika!?"

Ash seems to agree. "Brenda, are you sure that's a good idea?"

Brenda looks at Ash and smiles. "Rabbolt and Pikachu may not like each other now, but I'm willing to bet that they'll become friends in no time."

"You may think that, but I don't think Pikachu agrees." Pikachu nods.

"I'm sure they'll work it out." She looks back at Rabbolt. "So what do you say?"

Rabbolt looks up towards Pikachu and silently laughs. It nods. "Rabbolt!"

Brenda smiles. "That's great Rabbolt!"

Ash and Pikachu fall stunned to the ground.

Brenda pulls out a Pokéball at taps it to Rabbolt's head. The Pokéball takes in Rabbolt and wiggles. After several wiggles, it clicks. Brenda leaps up and holds the Pokéball into the air, exclaiming, "Alright, Rabbolt is part of my team!"

Brock congratulates, "That's great Brenda!"

Ash, still on the ground, states sarcastically, "Yeah…just great…"

* * *

The group is back out of the craggy lands, and continuing on their journey. Brenda looks over and notices Pikachu and Ash's shoulder. She suddenly exclaims, "Hey, I've got an idea!" She stops and throws a Pokéball.

Rabbolt comes out. "Rabbolt!"

Brenda suggests, "Hey Rabbolt, why don't you sit on my shoulder for a little while like Pikachu does on Ash's?" Rabbolt nods and then leaps onto Brenda's shoulder, mimicking Pikachu.

Ash and Pikachu both rub their foreheads and sigh at the same time. Rabbolt, in a way so that no one but Pikachu can see it, makes its face. Pikachu sighs again.

The Narrator laughs. _It would appear that a new friend for Brenda is a new rival for Pikachu, not to mention an annoyance. This will certainly add new levels to the dynamic that is this Pokémon family._

* * *

Team Rocket is huddled up close to each other on top of a boulder, scared of something. They all gulp. The angle of view changes, revealing that they are surrounded by the gang of Electric Pokémon. Jessie says, "Nice Electric Pokémon, you wouldn't want to hurt us, right?"

Meowth asks in despair, "Why do Electric-Type Pokémon hate us!?"

Raichu is standing a few feet away, watching, grinning, and apparently enjoying itself. It laughs, "Rai rai rai rai!"

James asks, "Will they ever leave us alone?"

Meowth gulps and answers, "There's only one way to find out…"

The Narrator finishes, _Stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	19. Episode 19: Rocket's Red Err

Episode 19: Rocket's Red Err

A Delibird flies through the air. It seems like the skies ahead are clear and nothing is in its way. Suddenly at high speeds, a Talonflame dives at Delibird, knocking back. A piece of paper flies from Delibird's sack. Delibird shouts angrily, "Deli deli!"

The Talonflame dives again, picking up the piece of paper this time. "Tallllllonflame!"

Delibird looks into its sack and realizes the paper is gone. "Deli!" It flies angrily at the Talonflame, managing to catch up. It grabs the paper and pulls. Talonflame doesn't let go. They have a tug-o-war for a few moments, before the paper is ripped, sending both Pokémon recoiling back. Talonflame flies off out of sight. Delibird sighs, "Deli…" It looks at the half piece of paper in its hands and shrugs. It then puts it back in its sack and continues on its way.

* * *

_Well, isn't this situation a familiar one for our heroes?_

Ash, Brock, and Brenda stand facing Jessie, James, and Meowth. Ash demands, "What makes you think this time is going to be any different than any time before!?"

James replies, "Because we're doing this for The Boss!"

Jessie adds, "He has faith that we can succeed in the Tenno Region, so we will!"

Meowth nods. "Meowth, that's right!"

Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!"

Ash sighs. "Pikachu, just get this over with…"

Pikachu, seemingly annoyed itself, steps forward. Without even putting much energy into it, "_Pikaaaa chuuuuu_." It shocks Team Rocket.

They are sent up into the air, screaming, "Team Rocket's blasting off already!" Instead of disappearing in twinkle of light, the scene follows them as they then fall back down, landing in a tree. They are left hanging in it. Jessie is angry. She demands, "How are we ever going to please The Boss if you two keep on screwing up all the time!?"

James, hanging on a branch by one leg, replies angrily, "Excuse me, but you're just as much to blame!"

Meowth shouts, "Yeah, if anyone's not to blame, it's me!"

Jessie and James both hit him in the back of the head. Meowth swings around scratches them. The three then get into fight, causing an obscuring dust cloud. The tussle causes the tree to shake enough for the branches to snap, and they fall to the ground. They all look at each other and sigh. James is just about to say something as Meowth interrupts him, pointing up to the sky and declaring, "Hey look, it's the Team Rocket Delibird!"

Sure enough, the Delibird seen earlier is flying down towards them. "Deli deli!"

Meowth translates, "It claims its brining news straight from HQ for us!"

The previous loss is completely forgotten. James says with excitement, "Maybe The Boss is sending us some super powerful Pokémon to help us here in Tenno!"

Jessie counters, "Or maybe he's promoting us!"

Meowth shouts excitedly, "I bet he's rewarding us for all the great things we've done for him!"

Delibird lands in front of them. It reaches into its sack and rummages around for something. It produces the torn piece of paper. "Deli!"

Meowth takes it. "It's a letter with The Boss' letterhead!"

James says excitedly, "Well what are you waiting for!? Read it!"

Meowth reads, "Team Rocket Grunts 1024 and 1025-"

Jessie interrupts, "That's James and I!"

Meowth mumbles, "Why am I always being left off of these things…?" He looks back to the letter and continues, "It has recently come to our attention that your current position in the Tenno Region requires some changes. You are no longer fit to serve as Team Rocket Grunts."

Meowth, Jessie, and James all look at each speechlessly for several moments. Jessie, as if trying to contain intense anger, asks, "Did…that…letter…just…say...what…I…thought…it…said?"

James says, "That can't be it! Keep reading Meowth!"

Meowth shakes his head remorsefully. "No, that's all it says."

What it means sinks in to all three at the same time. They all shout with despair, "We've been fired!"

Jessie looks at Delibird angrily. "You worthless bird! Get over here!" She stomps towards it.

Frightened, Delibird leaps up and flies away. "Deli deli!"

James starts to cry. "How could The Boss do this us? We were his only operatives in the Tenno Region!"

Meowth cries as well. "How could The Boss want to get rid of me, I just know that he's been waiting for the opportunity to replace that filthy Persian with me…"

Jessie, still angry, looks at them and shouts, "Shape up you two! We may not be Team Rocket any more, but show some dignity! The world's not over!"

James looks up. "It might as well be…"

Jessie slaps him. "Stop that attitude, stop it right now!"

Meowth sobs, "What else can we do?"

She slaps Meowth as well. "We just have to move on and forget this ever happened! Surely there's other things we can do."

James and Meowth have stopped crying, but are still extremely upset. James shakes his head. "Jessie, we've dedicated our entire lives to Team Rocket. Without them, we have nothing."

Jessie suddenly starts to sob as well. "You're right!" James and Meowth start crying again. They all huddle and cry together.

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

**Using the long fur on its arms like whips, this Pokémon launches into combo attacks that, once started, no one can stop.**

* * *

Ex-Team Rocket walks depressingly out from behind some trees. They are all moving slowly, and hang their heads in despair. They just happen to be intersecting the path Ash and friends. Ash and Pikachu instantly leap to a fighting stance. Ash shouts, "Not you three again!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth look up at Ash, and then back down. James sighs, "We're really not interested in catching your Pikachu anymore…"

Meowth adds, "Yeah, in fact, you'd be doing us a favor by blasting us off…"

Ash tilts his head in confusion. "Um…okay. Pikachu…Thunderbolt?"

Pikachu is equally confused, but shrugs, unable to pass up the opportunity. "Pikaaaa chuuuuuu!"

The attack hits, launching ex-Team Rocket once more into the skies. They cry with no emotion, "Not Team Rocket's blasting off…" They disappear in twinkle.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda continue to look confused. Brenda asks, "What was up with those guys?"

Brock suggests, "Maybe they've finally decided to give up catching Pikachu."

Ash laughs, "That would be the day!" Pikachu, Brock, and Brenda join in laughter.

* * *

Ex-Team Rocket lands in what appears to be a town taken straight out of a western movie. It's dusty, old, and rickety. After landing, they just lie on the floor, not moving even the slightest bit. After a few moments, a kid strolls by. He's young, wears blue overalls with a black shirt and a red hat. He stops next to them and looks at them curiously. He picks up a nearby stick and pokes each of them once. They still don't move. He asks, "Excuse me, are you three okay?"

Jessie, James, and Meowth sigh and slowly stand back up. Meowth solemnly responds, "Yeah kid, we're alright…at least physically…"

The kid looks the three of them over. "Falling from the sky…the costumes…a talking Meowth sidekick…" His eyes suddenly go wide. "You three must be superheroes!"

James sighs. "Sorry kid, but-"

Jessie holds up her arm and cuts him off. "So what if we are?"

The boy looks excited. "I knew that someone like you would show up eventually! Why don't you come to my house? You three look hungry."

James and Meowth instantly perk up at the mention of food. Jessie says, "In that case, we are superheroes. You may call us Team…um…Righteous. We're the defenders of the innocent…and all that stuff…"

The boy is wide-eyed. "That's so great! Our town really needs people like you!"

James says, "Of course, we can help, but first we require fuel for our heroic exploits."

The boy nods. "Of course, follow me."

* * *

**It's Mienshao!**

* * *

Jessie, James, and Meowth are sitting around a table with a spread of food. The boy from before and presumably his mother stand watching them eat ravenously. The mother says, "So is it true, have you three really come to help our town?"

Between bites, Jessie says, "That's our job and all, as heroes."

James nods in agreement. "Yeah, we're always doing this kind of thing, we travel from town to town, helping whoever needs us."

Meowth slyly adds to himself, "Not to mention reaping the rewards."

The mom smiles. "Then I'm glad you enjoy my cooking so much, it's the least I could do." She suddenly looks down and says remorsefully, "Especially after the bandits have taken so much from us…" She looks back at them. "Do you three already know about our bandit situation?"

James shakes his head. "No…um…we had only heard that your town was in trouble, but not why."

The mom nods. "Alright, allow me to fill you in. You see, for the past year now, our town has been plagued by bandits, attacking us with their Pokémon, stealing anything they can. Some of us tried to fight back with our Pokémon, but the bandits stole those Pokémon as well. Now our town is poor and has almost nothing, and yet those bandits return every month to take whatever they see fit. The food I served you is some of the last in our stock."

Jessie, James, and Meowth barely listen, as they continue to eat and nod occasionally.

The mom continues, "You actually came just in time, the bandits are supposed to return any time now."

As if in response, a rough and tough voice from shouts, "Alright, it's that time of the month again! I want everyone in this pathetic town out here now, so I may inspect their houses and take anything I desire as payment for your town's continued _protection_!"

The mom shouts, "That's one of them now!" She and her child run outside.

James stops eating and stands up. He declares, "I guess it is time for us to take action and protect the innocent!" He turns around to see Jessie and Meowth, each holding a bag of food, sneaking out the back door. He demands, "What do you two think you're doing!?"

Jessie answers, "What does it look like? We're taking the food and running."

Meowth nods. "Yeah, we've got all we can get from this lame town."

James is angered. "How dare you say that!? These people fed us the last of their food because we promised we could help them! We owe it to them to help! And help them we will!"

Jessie responds, "James, do I need to remind you that we're not heroes? We're villains! We don't save people!"

"That was before! Or do I need to remind you that we're no longer part of Team Rocket!? This our chance to forge a new identity! Give ourselves a new purpose in life!" Mime Jr. appears to copy James' inspirational movements. "We dedicated our entire lives to Team Rocket, and they deserted us! I think it's a sign that we were meant to do bigger and better things in life! We were meant to be heroes, and the opportunity to fulfil that destiny and repay these kind people is now! I say we forget our past and move forward as good guys…as Team Righteous!"

Jessie and Meowth sigh in defeat. Jessie nods. "_Fine_, we'll help the people. I don't like it, but we'll help."

Meowth states, "But don't think this change is permanent."

James smiles. "Something tells me that you'll change your mind about that. Now come on, let's move out!"

They walk outside. Once out there, they see a crowd of villagers on one side of the town, and a single thug on the other. The thug is dressed like a biker, with a black leather coat covered in metal spikes, as well sunglasses. The thug is saying, "I've waited long enough. Get out of my way!"

The boy shouts, "You won't take anything from us this time! We have superheroes to protect us!"

The bandit laughs. "Superheroes!? Are you joking!?"

James declares, "No, he's not!" The crowd parts way, revealing Jessie, James, and Meowth.

Jessie adds, "Even if it's against our better judgment, we will protect this town!"

Meowth finishes, "You don't stand a chance!" The three step forward.

The bandit laughs again. "You are fools!" He throws a Pokéball. "Show them Scraggy!"

Jessie and James each throw a Pokéball. "Go Haking!"

"Go Repiv!"

The bandit commands, "Use Brick Break!" Scraggy runs at Haking, with its fist glowing.

Jessie shouts, "Stop it Repiv, Wrap!" Repiv slithers at the Scraggy and wraps its body around it, immobilizing it.

James commands, "Now Haking, Tackle!" Haking rams its self into Scraggy.

The bandit shouts, "Get out of there!" Scraggy manages to slip out.

"Repiv, get it with Poison Fang!"

"And then you go in for a Sludge Bomb Haking!" Repiv strikes at Scraggy, biting it. As Repiv withdraws, Haking launches a series of poisonous sludge attacks. The two attacks knock out Scraggy.

Meowth looks surprised. "You two jokers actually did it."

Jessie and James look at each other excitedly and then jump for joy. They both cheer, "We did it! We won!"

The bandit returns his Pokémon and looks angrily at Jessie and James. "Mark my words! You'll pay for this!" He runs away.

The entire town cheers. Someone shouts, "Three cheers for Team Righteous!" The entire crowd cheers, "Hip, hip, hooray!" three times.

A tear comes to Jessie's eye. "They…like us…they actually like us…"

Meowth looks extremely happy. "This might just be the happiest moment of my nine lives."

James is proud. "What did I tell you guys!? This is it! Team Rocket is no more! For now on, we are Team Righteous!"

The crowd continues to cheer.

* * *

Some time has passed. Team Rocket (Righteous?) is watching as some town people raise a banner displaying what is now known as the "Righteous R." The boy approaches them with some friends of his age. One kid says, "There's no way you know them."

The boy responds, "But I do." He looks up at them. "Excuse me, but my friends don't believe me when I tell them that I was the first in the town to meet you."

James smiles. "It is true, he was the one who found us after we fell from the sky." The kids all look at them with admiration. James proclaims, "And you too kids, can grow up to become heroes! All you have to do is believe in yourself and power of justice!"

The kids all smile and then run away laughing. A man wearing a suit approaches them next. He says, "As mayor of this town, I am obliged to thank you three, but to be honest, I don't know how I ever could. We owe you so much."

Meowth says, "Don't mention it, it's all part of the job."

Suddenly, from across the town, someone shouts, "Help, the bandits are back!"

They each look off toward the direction of the cry. Jessie says, "Time for action!"

The mayor declares, "Good luck Team Righteous, may your battle be successful!" Jessie, James, and Meowth run off.

* * *

A giant group of similarly dressed bandits has appeared at the edge of town. Several townspeople look towards them with horror. The lead bandit demands, "Where are the ones you know as Team Righteous!?"

Jessie and James can be heard laughing. On top of a nearby building, Jessie appears. "Prepare for trouble bad guys!"

James appears on a building across the street. "Make it double if you're wise!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To defeat the evils of malice and greed!"

"To extend our help to all who plead!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Righteous blasts off villains at the speed of light!"

"Surrender evildoers or prepare to fight!"

Meowth appears on the street between them. "Meowth that's right!"

Wobbuffet joins Jessie. "Wobbuffet!"

As does Mime Jr with James. "Mime mime!"

The lead bandit looks at them. "You three ruined my hold on this town! You're going to pay!"

Meowth shouts, "No, it is you who will pay for the injustices you have done to this town!"

Jessie and James each throw their Pokéballs, letting out Repiv and Haking again. "Repivvvvv!"

"Hak haking hak!"

The leader snaps his fingers. "Get'em boys!" Each of the bandit horde throw a Pokéball, each letting out a Scraggy.

Jessie commands, "Repiv, spray them with Poison Sting!"

James adds, "And Haking, rapid fire Sludge Bomb!"

The two Pokémon release a rain of attacks, which hits most of the Scraggy, instantly rendering them unable to battle. Several Scraggy make it past the attacks and move in at Repiv, who manages to weave and slither its way around each of the Brick Break attacks.

James says, "Make it harder for them to attack, Smokescreen!" Haking clouds the field with black smoke. A fight can be heard, but not seen. Within a few moments, the smoke clears, revealing that Haking and Repiv have defeated all of the Scraggy.

Meowth declares, "You cannot hope to defeat us, for we fight for truth, justice, and the Pokémon way!"

The lead bandit steps forward. "You may have defeated my thugs, but I will be much harder to defeat!" He throws a Pokéball of his own. "Put a stop to this Scrafty!"

A Scrafty emerges. "Scraft!"

"Head Smash on the Haking!"

Jessie shouts, "Repiv, intercept it with Takedown!" The two Pokémon collide with massive force.

James commands, "Quickly, use Sludge Bomb!" Haking sends several globules of sludge at Scrafty, hitting it before it can recover.

This angers the leader. "Get back up and use Focus Punch!"

"Wrap Repiv!" Repiv wraps around Scrafty's fist, stopping the punch. "Now Poison Fang!" Repiv strikes, biting Scrafty. Scrafty falls.

The leader is shocked. He returns Scrafty and shouts, "All bandits, retreat!" The band of bandits turn around and run.

James shouts, "And don't you ever dare come back!"

Jessie adds, "This town is under the protection of Team Righteous!"

Meowth adds, "And you better tell all of your bandit buddies too!"

The townspeople cheer. The mayor approaches the team. "That's twice now that you have saved our town. We are forever in your debt."

James looks off valiantly. "Do not mention it, for justice, is its own reward." He looks to the townspeople. "In fact, it is we who should be thanking you, for you people have allowed us to reach our full potential!" The people cheer. "It is a shame that we must leave."

Jessie yanks James off to the side, Meowth follows. She demands, "What do you mean we must leave? We have the perfect gig here."

James shakes his head. "It's no longer about getting the perfect gig. There are people out there who need our help even more than these people did. Now that we have solved their bandit problem, we have no reason to stay. We must move on."

Meowth nods. "I agree."

Jessie sighs. "Yeah, you're right."

James looks back out to the audience and shouts, "And with that, we must bid you all adieu! But do not fret, for…"

Jessie declares, "Anywhere there's evil in the universe…!"

James shouts, "Team Righteous…!"

Meowth comes in, "Will be there…!"

They all finish, "To make it all disperse!" The crowd cheers, and Team Righteous runs off into the sunset.

* * *

Jessie, James, and Meowth continue to walk away. James states, "It feels great to do the right thing."

Jessie and Meowth nod and both say, "Agreed."

James continues, "I think that even if I were given the choice, I would never return to Team Rocket."

Meowth asks, "Who's Team Rocket?" After a moment, they all laugh.

They all look up as they hear the cry of a Pokémon. "Tallllllonflame!" A piece of paper falls from the sky.

Meowth catches it. "Hmm…I wonder what this is." He uncrumples it, revealing a torn piece of paper. "That's odd, it's signed by The Boss." He looks at it. "Wait a second…hand me that letter The Boss sent us."

James pulls his torn piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to Meowth. Meowth puts the two pieces of paper together and reads, "Team Rocket Grunts 1024 and 1025, it has recently come to our attention that your current position in the Tenno Region requires some changes. You are no longer fit to serve as Team Rocket Grunts." He stops for a moment, at the same spot as the letter ended before, but then continues, "Therefore, you are now being promoted to Team Rocket Grunt Class II, a more proper rank for your current position. Signed, Giovanni, Leader of Team Rocket."

The three look at each other, absolutely stunned. Jessie begins, "So we were never fired…?"

James adds, "And The Boss just wanted to promote us…?"

Meowth points out, "So we just went through all of that for no reason…"

They all leap up at once and shout, "Team Rocket's back!"

They all excitedly run like crazy. They run down a path. Up ahead, Ash, Brock, and Brenda can be seen. Before they realize what's happening, Jessie runs past Ash and grabs Pikachu off of Ash's shoulder. "I'll be taking this!"

They continue to run. Ash is a little confused, but he suggests, "Pikachu, want to try another Thunderbolt?"

Pikachu prepares its attack. "Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" For the third time today, Pikachu's electric attack causes Team Rocket to be launched into the air. Ash, Brock, and Brenda look at each other, not sure what to think about what just happened.

As Team Rocket flies through the air again, they look absolutely ecstatic. Meowth shouts, "It's good to be back were we belong!"

Jessie declares, "I hated being the good guy!"

James agrees, "The life of crime is the life for me!"

They all joyously shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" They disappear in a twinkle.

_While our heroes may never know the true story about what happened today, one would hope that our villains learned a valuable lesson about doing the right thing, _The Narrator laughs,_ or maybe not! _

**To Be Continued…**


	20. Episode 20: The Maze the Thing

Episode 20: The Maze the Thing

_It looks like our heroes are taking a well-deserved break from training in order to relax in a vibrant grotto._

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are relaxing, watching their Pokémon play. All of their Pokémon are out of their Pokéballs, and running around the in the grotto. Apprentichick and Meteorfight seem to be sparring, Blissey is chasing Glitterfly, Turcell is basking in the sunlight, absorbing solar energy, and Pikachu and Kappaqua are splashing around in a nearby river. Near the banks of the river, Rabbolt is examining some flowers.

Brenda stretches and proclaims, "We've been walking for so long, it's nice to take a short break."

Ash agrees, "Yeah, and the Pokémon look like they're enjoying it too. We found a nice spot."

Brock is reading something on the Pokéssistant. He says, "According to this, we're right on the outskirts of the Forest of Minos. Supposedly the trees grow so densely that the forest itself is like a maze. There are lots reports of people getting lost in there."

Brenda asks, "We don't have to travel through it, do we?"

Brock shakes his head. "Luckily, all we have to do is follow a path that leads around it. That shouldn't be too hard."

Pikachu and Kappaqua continue to splash at each other, having an all-out splash fight. Kappaqua sends a wave of water at Pikachu, hitting it. Pikachu laughs, and then retaliates by sending a large splash back. Kappaqua manages to dodge, however the splash keeps on travelling, hitting Rabbolt.

Rabbolt turns around and angrily shouts at Pikachu, "Rab rab rabolt!"

Pikachu shakes its head quickly and responds, "Pika pik chu!" as if to say it was an accident.

Rabbolt doesn't seem to care. It launches an electric attack at the water. "Rabbbbolt!" Kappaqua manages to leap out of the water, but Pikachu remains in and gets a major zap. Rabbolt laughs and makes a face at Pikachu.

Now past talking it out, Pikachu angrily returns the attack with a Thunderbolt. "Pikkkkkkka chuuuuuu!" The attacks hits. Pikachu leaps out of the water, and the two prepare to fight.

Just as they're both about to attack, Ash and Brenda come in and pick up their respective Pokémon, stopping the fight. Brenda scolds, "Rabbolt, why would you do that?"

Ash also scolds, "Come on Pikachu, what got into you?"

Both electric Pokémon point accusingly at the other. Each trainer takes their Pokémon and sets them down away from each other. When they walk back over to their original spot, Ash says, "I don't get it, Pikachu normally gets along so well with any Pokémon, I've never seen him behave so poorly."

Brenda shrugs, "I guess that Rabbolt's good at invoking a reaction."

Brock comments, "I think those two need a way to get rid of the animosity between then." He thinks for a moment. "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't you two have a battle? Maybe we can channel that animosity into a constructive rivalry."

Ash and Brenda look at each other. Ash says, "Alright, that sounds like a good idea."

Brenda agrees, "I'm up for it."

* * *

Ash and Brenda are now positioned on opposing sides of a field. In front of each of them is Pikachu and Rabbolt. Ash commands, "Pikachu, get in close and use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu runs at Rabbolt. "Chuuu pika!" Pikachu lands the hit, knocking Rabbolt back.

Brenda declares, "Quickly, close range Hidden Power!" Rabbolt launches several green orbs of energy at Pikachu, each one hitting. Both Pokémon then jump backwards. "Now use Shockwave!"

Ash shouts, "Block it with Thunderbolt!" The two electric attacks collide midfield, and block each other.

Brenda commands, "Bounce now!" Rabbolt leaps into the air and starts to fall towards Pikachu.

Ash counters, "Quick Attack, straight up!" With a burst of speed, Pikachu leaps up towards Rabbolt. The two Pokémon collide, and knock each other to the ground. Both instantly get back up, ready to fight more.

Ash is just about to call his next move, when Jessie suddenly declares, "Prepare for trouble!"

James is now heard, "And make it double!" From the sky descends Team Rocket's balloon.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

Meowth pops in. "Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash, apparently annoyed, asks, "What is it this time?"

James responds, "How dare you show annoyance towards us!?"

Jessie says, "Yeah, Team Rocket is the spice of your life!"

Meowth nods. "If it weren't for us, this show would be a whole lot worse!"

Brenda says, "I don't know, I think I could go without you three clowns trying to steal my Pokémon."

Meowth replies, "Well these three clowns are about to succeed in stealing your Pokémon!" He presses a button on a remote. "Activating the Pokélectro-magnet!" A slot on the bottom of the balloon's basket opens up, and a cartoonishly large magnet lowers out from it. Meowth explains, "This device takes advantage of the electric waves produced by Electric-Type Pokémon, and can pull them in just like metal!" He presses another button, and the magnet turns on. A wave of electricity comes out of it and hits Pikachu and Rabbolt. The two Pokémon are pulled towards it.

Pikachu cries, "Pika!"

Rabbolt also cries, "Rabb!"

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

At the same time, Brenda shouts, "Rabbolt!"

The Pokémon fly towards the magnet, and stick to it. Jessie gloats, "Ha ha, we got a Pikachu!"

James adds, "Not to mention a nice Rabbolt as a bonus!"

Pikachu and Rabbolt struggle to break free, but the magnet is too strong. Brock says, "Hey, maybe Pikachu and Rabbolt can overload the magnet if they use their electric attacks together!"

Ash and Brenda nod. Ash shouts, "Pikachu, give it as strong of a Thunderbolt as you can!"

Brenda then adds, "And Rabbolt, use your most powerful Shockwave!"

The two Pokémon begin their attacks. Jessie laughs, "Ha, you think we weren't prepared for that!? We have built in safeties!"

Meowth looks nervous. He pulls Jessie down and whispers something in her ear. Jessie freezes in fear. "What do you mean we have no safeties?" The magnet begins to smoke.

Meowth laughs awkwardly. "Yeah, you see…you only left me so much of a budget, so I had to cut out the safeties and hope the twerps wouldn't think of this…"

James shouts, "Meowth you fool! How could you!?"

The magnet blows up. The resulting explosion sends Pikachu, Rabbolt, and Team Rocket flying away. They all land in a nearby forest.

Brock says, "Not good, that's the Forest of Minos!"

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!" and runs after them, right into the forest. Brenda and Brock follow behind.

* * *

Pikachu and Rabbolt fall through a thick canopy of leaves and branches. They plummet through them until the hit the ground. All around them is a thick wall of trees, except for a path going forward, and another going back. The thick canopy blocks most of the sunlight. Pikachu gets up and looks around. He calls, "Pika!" There's no response.

Rabbolt gets up and surveys its surroundings as well. It looks at Pikachu and angrily scolds, "Rab rab bolt!" as if to blame them getting lost on Pikachu.

Pikachu responds, "Chu pika chu."

Rabbolt shakes its head and points at Pikachu. "Rab!"

Pikachu sighs, and apparently gives up the argument. It looks around again. It points forward and says, "Chu, pika," telling Rabbolt to move in that direction. Pikachu begins to walk in that direction.

Rabbolt simply makes a face at Pikachu, turns around, and walks in the other direction.

As soon as the Pokémon have walked several feet away from each other, a bolt of electricity appears between them, and then pulls them back together. Apparently there is still some sort of residual effect from Team Rocket's magnet.

Rabbolt shouts accusingly, "Rab rabbolt rab!"

Pikachu shakes its head and asserts its innocence. "Pikachu pik!"

Rabbolt tries to walk away again, but is quickly pulled back towards Pikachu. Rabbolt, beginning to understand what's happening, points in its chosen direction and asserts, "Bolt."

Pikachu sighs, "Pika…" and follows Rabbolt in its chosen direction.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon's cries sound like incantations. Those hearing it are tormented by headaches and hallucinations.**

* * *

Ash runs by a giant tree, Brenda and Brock aren't far behind. They are in a similar setting to Pikachu and Rabbolt. Brock shouts, "Ash, you have to slow down! We need to make a plan!"

Brenda adds, "Yeah, we're going to get lost!"

Ash shouts back, "I need to find Pikachu!"

Brock catches up to Ash, puts a hand on his shoulder, and stops him. Ash turns around and Brock says, "Ash, we'll find Pikachu, but this isn't the way."

Ash sighs, "Are you sure?"

Brock nods. "Certain."

Brenda approaches, "Don't forget, Rabbolt's out there too. You're not the only one who lost a Pokémon."

Ash asks, "What should we do?"

Brock looks around. He points off to the right. "I believe that that's the way the Pokémon flew." He then points to a path just to the left of that. "The trees are too thick for us to go just that way, so that path seems to lead us in the closest direction."

Ash looks and realizes that he was running in the complete opposite direction. He nods. "Alright, let's go." They head off on Brock's path.

* * *

**It's Mismagius!**

* * *

Team Rocket is drudging through the forest as well. Jessie, who looks completely exhausted, complains, "How much further do we have to walk until we get out of here?"

James answers, "I don't know, this forest seems to go on forever. Maybe we wouldn't have to be in this situation if Meowth had just bought the necessary safeties."

Meowth delivers a Fury Swipes to each of them. "Stop complaining or we'll never get out of here!"

Jessie grabs Meowth and throws him at a tree. "Then why don't you go and find us a way out!?"

Meowth flies towards the tree and hits it with a loud thump. He bounces off of it and lands on the floor in front of some bushes at the tree's base. A loud buzzing sound is heard. Jessie and James freeze up. Meowth gets up and slowly looks behind him. Out of the tree comes a Vespiquen. It looks angrily at Team Rocket. It makes an unintelligible buzzing noise, which is apparently a call. Out of the surrounding trees and bushes, a swarm of Combee and another Pokémon come out from hiding. The other Pokémon appears similar to Combee, except composed of only one head instead of three. Similar to Combee, some have a red spot on their foreheads, while others don't. The swarm flies towards Team Rocket, who promptly run away screaming.

* * *

Pikachu and Rabbolt are continuing to walk in Rabbolt's chosen path. Rabbolt seems to be happily bouncing forward, while Pikachu walks close behind, appearing slightly annoyed. Pikachu makes a motion towards a near rock, and says, "Pika pik." Pikachu then walks to the rock and sits down, taking a break.

Rabbolt, however, continues to bounce forward. Once it passes the maximum distance, it and Pikachu are pulled to a center point. Rabbolt shouts angrily, "Rab rabbolt rab bolt!"

Pikachu shouts back, "Chu pika pik chu!" They start to argue back and forth.

They suddenly stop when they are interrupted by a screaming. They both look to the left, where Team Rocket is running towards them. Both Pikachu and Rabbolt prepare to fight, but Team Rocket runs right past them, not even noticing them. This puzzles Pikachu, who watches as Team Rocket runs away. "Pi?"

Pikachu and Rabbolt's questions are answered when they hear a buzzing behind them. They slowly turn around to see the swarm of bee Pokémon flying angrily towards them. The swarm splits into two groups, one going after Team Rocket, and the other turning towards Pikachu and Rabbolt. The electric Pokémon widen their eyes in surprise. They both attack the oncoming Pokémon with their respective electric attacks, but the bee Pokémon completely avoid attacks. Pikachu and Rabbolt both run in completely separate directions, but are quickly pulled together. Without stopping to argue, the two run off in the direction Pikachu initially ran.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda continue their trek through the forest. Ash calls, "Pikachu!"

Brenda calls, "Rabbolt!"

Ash suddenly stops and looks forward with horror. Brock asks, "What is it Ash?"

Ash points at a large tree in front of them. "It's that tree again! We're right back where we've started! We've passed that tree four times now, and taken a different path each time. They all lead back here!"

Brock scratches his chin. "That's odd. We must have missed another branching path somewhere."

Ash sighs. "I guess that there's nothing else to do but pick another path." He starts to go towards another path, when a buzzing can be heard.

Brenda asks, "Hey, what's that noise?"

Out of the wall of trees emerges more Combee and the other Pokémon. Ash and Brenda both take out their Pokédexes.

Ash's, on the unknown Pokémon, says, "Honbee, the Mini Bee Pokémon and a Bug and Flying combo type. Honbee are the most basic form in a hive of Combee, serving as the individuals that will eventually combine to form a Combee. They train with older Combee in order to learn how to most efficiently gather honey. Evolves into Combee through friendship while holding Honey."

Brenda's says, "Combee, the Tiny Bee Pokémon and a Bug and Flying combo type. Three Honbee combine to form a Combee. Combee perform different tasks depending on their gender. The males spend all their time gathering and making honey, while the females are trained to possibly take over as the next queen of the hive. Evolves from Honbee through friendship while holding Honey and evolves into Vespiquen or Vespidrone, depending on gender, at level 21."

Brenda states, "Look at them, they're so cute!" That cuteness doesn't last for long, as their faces quickly change to anger.

Brock exclaims, "I think we might be encroaching on their hive's territory!"

Ash shouts, "Run!" They all run away, chased by the Honbee and Combee.

* * *

Pikachu and Rabbolt seem to have made it away from the swarm, at least momentarily. They both stop running and take a moment to catch their breath. They both pant heavily. They look at each other, as if about to start another argument, but then give up, deciding it isn't worth it. They look around and survey their surroundings. Pikachu breathes a sigh of relief when it realizes that there are no Combee or Honbee anywhere around them.

Rabbolt Begins to walk in a direction. Pikachu quickly stops it. "Pik chu Pika pi," explaining that that's the way they came from.

Rabbolt shrugs, decides not to argue, turns around, and walks the other way. Pikachu smiles and follows.

They walk for a little bit longer, making a little bit of progress, at least until they hear the buzzing of the bees again. Before they can react, they are surrounded. Rabbolt begins to run away, but Pikachu is stuck by the swarm. Pikachu unleashes a Thunderbolt at the swarm, but they simply dodge it.

Rabbolt, who's still running away, quickly comes to a stop as it realizes Pikachu isn't following. It turns around and sighs. "Rab…" It runs back towards Pikachu, without the influence of the magnetic field, and attacks with its own Shockwave.

The two Pokémon fight back-to-back, each releasing an attack in tandem. They manage to start to hit some of their targets. Despite this, the more they beat back, the more appear to take their place.

A Combee manages to dive in towards Rabbolt and knock it back. The swarm then begins to target the knocked down Pokémon.

Pikachu quickly reacts and first uses Iron Tail to knock away the nearby Combee and Honbee, and then Thunderbolt to hit the rest. Pikachu extends a paw to Rabbolt. Rabbolt accepts it and gets up with Pikachu's help. The two Pokémon look at each other and nod. While holding hands, both Pokémon begin an attack.

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuuuu!"

"Rabbbbbbbolt!"

The two combined attacks create a massive pulse of electricity that zaps every Honbee and Combee around them. The Pokémon flee. Pikachu and Rabbolt look at each other with a newfound understanding. Without even arguing, the two Pokémon walk away in the same direction.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda now find themselves at a dead end, surrounded by Honbee and Combee. Brenda asks, "Why are they so angry?"

Brock answers, "Honbee and Combee would do anything to protect their queen Vespiquen, they must think we're threatening her."

Ash shouts to them, "Hey Honbee, Combee, we don't mean you or your queen any harm! We're just looking for my friend!" The Pokémon don't seem to care, they prepare to attack. Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

* * *

Pikachu and Rabbolt are continuing to attempt to find their way out of the forest. Pikachu suddenly stops and perks its ear up.

Rabbolt looks at it and asks, "Rab?"

Pikachu points of to the right. Both Pokémon run in the indicated direction.

* * *

A Combee is just about to attack Ash when "Pikaaaaa chuuuuuu!" is heard. Pikachu's Thunderbolt comes out of nowhere and knocks away the closest Pokémon.

Ash shouts in joy, "Pikachu!"

Then comes, "Rabbbbbbolt!" And Rabbolt's Shockwave also hits some Combee and Honbee.

Brenda cheers, "Rabbolt!"

Both Pokémon come in and each launch an electric attack at the swarm. Brock observes, "It looks like those two are actually working together!"

The two Pokémon then look at each other and nod, as if agreeing on a tactic. Pikachu begins to run towards the swarm with its Quick Attack and Rabbolt begins to glow yellow and small sparks come off of it.

Brenda asks, "What's Rabbolt doing?"

Brock answers, "It looks like Rabbolt is using Static Cloak! That move instantly Paralyzes a Pokémon if physical contact is made!"

Pikachu runs into the swarm, and hits the maximum distance from Rabbolt. Rabbolt is yanked by Pikachu's speed. As it is being towed, Rabbolt knocks into the Combee and Honbee, causing each one to flee upon contact. Pikachu runs back and forth, pulling Rabbolt in all different directions.

Ash asks, "Now what's happening?"

Brock suggests, "Maybe that electromagnet Team Rocket used is still having an effect on them, causing them to attract to each other like magnets."

Pikachu and Rabbolt's combined attack manages to scare off the last of the swarm. The two Pokémon shake paws.

Ash runs over and hugs Pikachu. Brenda does the same to Rabbolt. Ash says, "That was great buddy, I've never seen anything like it!"

Brenda says, "If you can pull that off, you'll be great in contests Rabbolt, I know it." She then looks to Brock and asks, "What should we do about the magnet?"

Brock thinks about it. "If you return Rabbolt to its Pokéball, you should discharge it."

Brenda nods, and does as he says. She then lets Rabbolt back out and asks, "There, how do you feel?"

Rabbolt cautiously takes several steps away. Nothing happens. Rabbolt and Pikachu both cheer.

Ash gets back up. "Come on guys, now we need to get out of here."

* * *

It's a little later, Ash, Brock, and Brenda continue their journey to get out. Ash points ahead and exclaims, "Guys, look! Daylight!" Brenda and Brock laugh with cheer. They all race towards the exit. Within moments they have made it out.

Brenda exclaims, "I never thought I'd be so happy to be back in wide-open space!"

Pikachu and Rabbolt jump for joy.

_And so our heroes have made it through yet another challenge. Perhaps even more important, a certain two Electric-Type Pokémon have finally but their differences aside and made friends._

Pikachu begins to run forward, but Rabbolt extends out a foot and trips it. Pikachu looks back in surprise and Rabbolt makes its signature face back, laughing.

_Well…maybe not entirely…_

* * *

Team Rocket is near a gnarled looking tree. Meowth exclaims, "We've passed that tree five times now! I'm certain of it!"

James suggests, "Maybe it's just another tree that looks similar."

Meowth retorts, "No, it's the same tree!"

Jessie says, "Fine, we'll go this way this time." She begins to turn towards a path to the left.

Meowth grabs her and shouts, "No, you've picked the wrong path five time now! I'm picking the path this time, and I say we go this way!" He pushes them towards a path in the other direction. He suddenly shouts, "Wrong way! Wrong way!" They all run away, chased by a swarm of Honbee and Combee.

They run off down Jessie's path of choice, out of sight, shouting, "Looks like Team Rocket's running off again!"

**To Be Continued…**


	21. Episode 21: Skyfalling

Episode 21: Skyfalling

_Ash, Brock, and Brenda are continuing on their way to Atmos City, the site of Ash's second Tenno League gym battle, and, knowing Ash, there's only one thing one his mind about now._

Ash jumps for joy. "Atmos City, here we come!"

Pikachu cheers, "Pik pikachu!"

Brock laughs and asks, "What's with the sudden burst of excitement?"

Ash says, "I've just been thinking over different battle strategies, and I know that I'm ready for this match. Nothing's going to stop me!"

Brenda comments carefully, "I may be the new trainer here, but shouldn't you be taking this a little more slowly? You don't even know what kind of Pokémon you'll be up against at that gym."

Ash shakes his head. "Whatever comes our way, I know that Pikachu and I can handle it." Pikachu nods in agreement.

Brock laughs again. "I see we're on a confidence streak then."

"You bet, and nothing will stop us!"

A voice suddenly calls out, "Hey you, watch out bellow!"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda look up to see a man and a bird Pokémon falling towards them. The man is wearing a sky blue wingsuit and goggles. He has blond hair that's flailing in the wind. The Pokémon is a large and powerful looking bird. It appears to have tremendous upper body and wing strength, as well as very large wings, and a long beak. The top of its body is blue, while the bottom is black. White stripes wrap around the point where the wings meet the body. It appears to be quite aerodynamic. The two are diving head first towards the ground.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda leap out of the way. In perfect synchronicity, the pair open their wings, do a backflip, and then land gracefully on their feet. After getting over the shock of the moment, Ash, Brock, and Brenda clap.

The man removes his goggles, and then he and the Pokémon bow, and the man says, "Thank you, thank you very much."

Brock says, "That was great, but how'd you skydive without a parachute?"

The man raises his arms, spreading the fabric under them. "This is a specially designed jumpsuit called a wingsuit. The special, super strong fabric under my arms as well as between my legs serves as the parachute. It's as close as a man can get to actually flying."

Ash says, "That's a cool Pokémon," and pulls out his Pokédex.

It says, "Orbitross, the Orbital Flyer Pokémon, and a Flying and Normal Combo Type. Thanks to their powerful wings and upper body strength, as well as high lung capacity, Orbitross are one of the only known Pokémon with the ability to fly to the edge of the atmosphere. Once up at their highest, Orbitross will travel in a low Earth orbit for long periods of time. When the time comes for them to get food, they will dive down to the surface. Does not evolve."

Brenda says, "Wow, it must make the perfect skydiving partner."

The man nods. "He sure does. Orbitross has been my partner for years. We've been on more dives together than you could imagine. By the way, the name's Skyler."

Brenda says, "I'm Brenda."

Brock adds, "And my name's Brock."

Ash introduces himself, "I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika!"

Skyler asks, "Are you three Pokémon trainers?"

Ash nods. "You bet. We're on our way to Atmos City so I can earn my second Tenno gym badge at the gym there."

Skyler nods. "Is that so? Very interesting. Tell me Ash, have you ever participated in a skydiving battle?"

Ash shakes his head. "No, what's that?"

"Well have you ever heard of a Sky Battle?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, I actually had one back in the Kalos Region."

"A skydiving battle is a variant on the Sky Battle. You see, in such a battle both participants don wingsuits like mine here and then take a special airplane up as far as possible and then jump. Using the wingsuits, there's more than enough time to have an entire battle during the dive. The best part is that there are special wingsuits designed for Pokémon, so you don't even have to stick to Flying-Type Pokémon."

Ash looks excited. "That sounds amazing!"

Skyler nods. "It is very fun. And in fact, it is the preferred battle style of the Atmos City Gym Leader."

Ash's eyes widen. "Really?"

Brock thinks that over. "So the Atmos City Gym Leader battles while skydiving. Interesting."

Skyler suggests, "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't you have a practice match against me? I've got my own plane that could take us up. I could go for another dive. Right Orbitross?"

"Orrrbitrossss!"

Ash smiles and looks to Pikachu. "What do you think buddy?"

Pikachu smiles back. "Pi ka!"

Ash looks back at Skyler. "Yeah, let's do it!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**It flies across the sky at Mach speeds. Removing the seal on its chest makes its internal energy go out of control.**

* * *

Ash and Skyler are in a passenger hold aboard Skyler's airplane. Ash is now dressed in a red wingsuit. His Pokéballs are on a belt on the suit. Pikachu on his shoulder is also in a special Pokémon wingsuit. Skyler says, "Alright, we've almost reached the appropriate altitude." He points forward to a red light above a hatch. "Once that light turns yellow, the hatch will open. Then, once it turns green, we jump. Do you understand?"

Ash nods. "I'm ready."

"Alright then, good luck."

They both look towards the light with anticipation. Within moments the light turns yellow and the hatch opens. Ash and Skyler look to each other and nod. The light turns green and they jump. As soon as they leave the plane, they both spread their arms and legs, expanding their wing flaps and slowing their decent. Orbitross leaps out of the plane next, and flies down to Skyler. Pikachu comes last, making it to Ash. The two Pokémon take positions in front of their trainers.

Skyler shouts, "Alright Ash, you can make the first move!"

Ash grins. "Pikachu, start things off with a Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" Pikachu launches its attack, but it doesn't even come close to hitting.

On the ground, Brock and Brenda are watching the battle on Brock's Pokéssistant. Brenda is shocked. She asks, "What just happened!? Why'd Pikachu completely miss like that!?"

Brock answers, "This battle is completely different from any one on the ground. Pikachu has no leverage while falling like that, so aiming is going to be very hard."

Back in the air, Skyler commands, "Orbitross, climb into the sky and use Aerial Ace!" Orbitross flaps its wings, causing it quickly ascend, and then moves into a diving position. The decreased drag of its position causes it fall fast as it goes into its attack.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, hit it with Iron Tail as it comes at you!"

Pikachu attempts to swing its tail upwards, but lacks the maneuverability to do so, and Orbitross' attack is much too fast. It makes contact. Pikachu's body goes limp as it feints.

Brenda gasps, "How did Pikachu lose so quickly?"

Brock says, "Skyler has obviously mastered the art of skydiving battles. By having his Orbitross go up before launching its attack, it's able to add the speed of its fall to the speed of its normal Aerial Ace, creating a truly devastating attack."

Ash grunts at his loss of Pikachu. He manages to move forward and grab Pikachu. He uses a clip to connect Pikachu his back. Pikachu slightly regains consciousness and gives an apologetic, "Pik…"

Ash says, "Don't worry about it Pikachu, you've never done this before. It's not your fault."

Skyler shouts to Ash, "Neither of you should be upset, a skydiving battle can be hard to master. Now Ash, who's your next Pokémon?"

Ash pulls a Pokéball off his belt. He's about to throw it, but then thinks better about it. He just holds it out and says, "Turcell, I choose you!"

Turcell emerges from its Pokéball. Wrapped around its shell is another wingsuit, this one designed for Turcell's unique shape and quadrupedal form. "Turcell!" It takes a moment to curiously take in its surroundings. "Cell?"

Ash shouts, "I know you can do this Turcell! Let's use your Ember!"

"Tur cell!" Turcell releases several embers worth of the attack, but they fizzle out due to the upwards wind. "Tur!?"

Skyler commands, "Orbitross, move in for a Wing Attack!" Orbitross flies straight at Turcell with glowing wings.

Ash counters, "Turcell, Withdraw!" Turcell falls into its shell, which instantly causes it to fall faster with decreased drag, dodging Orbitross' attack. "Great, now get back out and use Molten Slag upwards!" Turcell attacks with its globule of molten material straight up, which Orbitross falls into.

Skyler compliments, "A fine combination Ash, that's how you have a skydiving battle! Let's show him our next move Orbitross, Drill Peck!" Orbitross turns towards Turcell and dives, spinning its body, causing its beak to glow. Turcell is unable to dodge in time.

"Quickly Turcell, Rapid Spin!" Turcell pulls into its shell again and attempts to slam into Orbitross, but completely misses.

"Let's finish this Orbitross, Aerial Ace!" Orbitross climbs up higher once more, and then goes in for the dive.

"Quickly Turcell, Withdraw!" Turcell stays in its shell as it is hit by Orbitross' attack. Turcell then reemerges from its shell. It's been knocked out. Ash grimaces, and then returns Turcell to its Pokéball. He returns the ball to his belt and grabs another.

Skyler states, "You are down to your last Pokémon, do you think that you can turn the tide of this battle?"

Ash nods. "I know that I can. Go, Apprentichick!"

"Apprentiiii!" Unlike Ash's other Pokémon, Apprentichick wears no wingsuit, as it has wings of its own. It quickly matches the speed of its fall with that of Ash's.

"So you have a flying Pokémon of your own? This battle should be intriguing. Let's go for a Wing Attack Orbitross."

Ash shouts, "Counter with your own Wing Attack Apprentichick!"

The Pokémon fly at each other with wings glowing. They hit center field, wings colliding, and then flying past each other.

Both trainers shout, "Keep it up!" The two bird Pokémon continue to fly towards each other, trading blows.

* * *

**It's Golurk!**

* * *

Team Rocket is in their Meowth balloon, surveying their surroundings with binoculars. James instructs, "Keep your eyes peeled you two, you never know when a Twerp will pop up out of nowhere."

They all look off to the left, when suddenly Ash, Pikachu, Skyler, Apprentichick, and Orbitross fall right past their field of vision. Team Rocket all throw their binoculars into the air, scream in terror, and run around in circles.

Jessie screams, "Ah, it's raining Twerps!"

Meowth shouts, "It's a sign, the end times are here!"

James shouts, "Horde your resources and take cover! It's the end of the world!"

Wobbuffet and Mime Jr. join in the mayhem. "Wobba wobba!"

"Mime mime!"

The five all bump into each other and fall to the floor of the balloon. They look at each other and then realize the absurdity of what they were just shouting. Jessie quickly stands up, grabs her binoculars, and looks with them down. "The Twerp seems to be battling while skydiving."

Meowth joins her in looking. "That gives me an idea…"

* * *

Ash and Skyler seem to have fallen past Team Rocket without even noticing their presence. The two bird Pokémon continue to exchange Wing Attacks. Skyler states, "It would seem we have come to a standstill. It's time to speed things up. Alright Orbitross, you know what to do! Aerial Ace!"

"Orbitrossssssss!" Orbitross climbs into the air.

Ash thinks, _Alright, here it comes again. I tried to defend against it with Turcell, but that didn't help. Maybe I should try the opposite. _He commands, "Fly straight up towards it and Talon Grapple to stop it!"

"Apprentiiiiii!" Apprentichick and Orbitross fly straight at each other, Orbitross diving down, Apprentichick brandishing its talons upwards.

"Orbittttt!"

"Aprentiiiiii!"

The two Pokémon meet. Apprentichick attempts to reach for Orbitross' wings with its talons, but Orbitross moves just enough to avoid them. Attempting to salvage the situation, Apprentichick jabs its talons at Orbitross' body, but it's not fast enough. Orbitross manages to make contact first. Orbitross' attack defeats Apprentichick.

Ash is disgruntled. He wordlessly returns Apprentichick.

Skyler looks down. The ground is nearing. He says, "Alright, we finished just in time. Prepare to land, do exactly as I instructed." Ash nods.

The two spread their arms and legs as far as possible, increasing the surface area of their wingsuits. They begin to slow down.

On the ground, Brenda points up, "Hey look, here they come!"

Brock and Brenda watch as the two slow their descent and glide to the ground. When they're getting close to landing, a giant bug catching net suddenly swoops in and catches them.

Brock gasps. "What just happened!?"

The net is connected to the bottom of Team Rocket's balloon. Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble from the sky!"

James continues, "Make it double, we can fly!"

"To soar in the skies with dedication!"

"To rule the world with aviation!"

"To fly around as free as a Pidove!"

"To extend our reach to the skies above!"

"Ascending Jessie!"

"Soaring James!"

"Team Rocket flies into the air at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for flight!"

"Meowth, that's a sky high right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash shouts, "Team Rocket, let us out!"

Jessie answers, "Now why would we ever do that?"

James declares, "Face it Twerp, we have you right where we want you."

Brenda shouts, "Don't worry Ash, we'll free you! Go, Glitterfly!"

Brock throws a Pokéball too. "Go, Blissey!"

"Glitterfly, use Solar Beam!"

"Blissey, use Egg Bomb!"

The two Pokémon launch their attacks at Team Rocket, but they have managed to move their balloon high enough to get out of range.

Meowth taunts, "Ha ha! You can't reach us!"

James urges, "Now hurry, let's get out of here while we still can!" They balloon starts to move away.

* * *

Ash, Pikachu, Skyler, and Orbitross are still stuck underneath Team Rocket's balloon in the oversized net. Ash shouts to Team Rocket, "We will escape!"

Team Rocket laughs. Jessie shouts, "In case you've forgotten, even if you do escape, we're hundreds of feet above the ground! There is no escape!"

Ash and Skyler look at each other. Skyler whispers, "They seem to have forgotten that we're wearing suits meant for skydiving. We can make it back down."

Ash whispers back, "We've just got to figure out a way from this net."

Skyler asks, "Ash, does your Apprentichick know Gust?"

Ash nods. "Yeah."

"Alright. Do you think that it might be up for some flying?"

Ash removes his Pokéball. "Yeah, it should have had enough chance to get some rest."

"Good. Let it out of its Pokéball and have it get below us and use Gust straight up."

Ash nods and then reaches his arm out through a hole in the net. He whispers, "Go Apprentichick." Apprentichick emerges. Ash explains Skyler's instructions to it.

Apprentichick nods. It flies straight down and then uses Gust. Ash, Skyler, and Orbitross spread their wings. The Gust from blows them upwards, and then actually turns the net inside out. They fly out.

Back in the balloon's basket, Jessie is saying, "Now that we have Pikachu and that powerful Orbitross, The Boss will reward us for sure!"

Meowth nods. "No doubt about it."

James, who is facing towards Jessie and Meowth has shock cross his face as he sees something behind them. He point nervously.

Meowth asks, "What is…" They turn around and see Ash and Skyler rising above them. Ash smiles and waves. Orbitross is seen below Skyler, boosting him upwards with Gust, just as Apprentichick does for Ash.

Ash looks at Pikachu, now looking recovered from its battle, on his shoulder and asks, "Would you care to do the honors Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods. "Pik." Pikachu leaps into the balloons basket.

James shouts, "Quickly, catch it!"

Jessie, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet all leap in at Pikachu at once. Pikachu leaps up, causing them to miss and fall on top of each other. Pikachu then lands on top of them and attacks. "Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu's Thunderbolt shocks Team Rocket and the balloon. It leaps off, and spreads the wings of its suit, in order to hover right next to Ash.

Team Rocket's balloon explodes and Team Rocket is sent flying. Jessie shouts at Meowth, "You said that this plan would work!"

Meowth shrugs. "I believe that I said it would only fail when Twerps fly."

James shouts, "The Twerps were flying!"

Meowth shrugs again, "That's where I made my mistake. Maybe I should have said when Tepig fly instead."

Jessie shouts, "With our luck, if you said that then we would have seen Tepig flying today!"

They all shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

As they disappear, "Wobbuffet!" can also be heard.

Skyler smiles at Ash. "Great job. You're really getting the hang of skydiving."

Ash smiles back. "Thank you." The two turn around and then begin to glide back towards the ground along with their Pokémon. Down below them, they see Brock and Brenda. They turn so that they can land right next to them.

Brock asks, "Ash, how'd you manage to escape?"

Ash answers, "Team Rocket seemed to not have accounted for us being able to use our wingsuits to fly."

Brenda states, "That's so cool, was it actually like you were flying?"

Ash nods. "It did feel like I was a Flying-Type." He looks at Skyler. "Now I just need to practice more before we get to Atmos City."

* * *

It's later in the day. Ash and Pikachu have changed out of their wingsuits. They appear to be ready to head back out. Ash says to Skyler, "Thanks so much for giving me that opportunity. If I had made it to the gym only to learn there what I had to do to battle, I don't know what I would've done."

Skyler replies, "It is no problem at all. In fact you did me a favor, since I love skydiving battles so much."

Ash looks up to the sky. "I'll have to think hard about a strategy I can use to better battle while skydiving. If the gym leader is anywhere near as good as you, then I'll need a lot of help."

Skyler smiles. "Something tells me you'll be able to figure it out."

Ash asks, "Why do you say that?"

Skyler continues to smile. "Let's just say that as the gym leader of the Atmos City Gym, I know which challengers have potential and which ones don't."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are stunned. Ash asks, "Wait, are you saying that you're the gym leader!?"

Skyler nods. "You bet."

Brock asks, "Why didn't you tell us that when Ash first told you he wanted to challenge your gym?"

"If I had told you that I was a gym leader right off the bat, then you would have battled me completely differently. I wanted see how you battled first. It was a test of sorts. After seeing how strong your Pokémon are, and how resourceful you are, I know that you'll figure out a way beat me. And I can't wait."

Ash nods in agreement. "I can't wait either. I promise you that when I get to Atmos City, I'll give you an even better battle than I did today. You can count on it."

"I will. And until then, I wish you the best of luck in your training."

Ash smiles, "And I wish you the best of luck in your future dives."

Skyler turns around and walks off. Ash, Brock, and Brenda turn in the opposite direction. Brenda asks, "Ash, do you really think that you'll be able to beat him in a rematch after how badly he beat you?"

Ash nods. "I know I can. It's just going to have to set my mind to making a strategy. I know it."

_Even though he lost,_ _Ash's battle with the gym leader Skyler seems only to have boosted his confidence level. Now nearing Atmos City, it is more important than ever for Ash to come up with a strategy for success. What could said strategy be? Find out next time, as the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	22. Episode 22: Championship Shape

Episode 22: Championship Shape

_Having just lost against Skyler, the Gym Leader of the Atmos City Gym, in a sky diving battle, Ash and Pikachu are now on the hunt for a new strategy that could allow them to turn the tables on him and claim their second Tenno League gym badge._

Ash and Pikachu are walking just ahead of Brock and Brenda. Both seem to be contemplating something. Ash states, "Hmm…What if we were to…no that would never work."

Pikachu sighs. "Pika…"

Brock says, "Come on Ash, you shouldn't worry about it that much. We're still a while away from Atmos City, you'll come up with something by then."

Ash now sighs. "Yeah, maybe."

Brenda, who is carrying Kappaqua suddenly stops and points to something. "Hey guys, look at this!"

Ash and Brock walk over to Brenda. She's pointing at a poster hung on a tree. The poster shows a Lunatone, Solrock, and Protostar. Ash asks, "What is it?"

Brenda answers, "According to this it's a lecture about Pokémon from outer space, followed by a stargazing session."

Brock smiles. "That sounds fun."

Brenda then adds, "But that's not all, look who's leading it!"

Ash and Brock look closer at the poster. Ash exclaims, "It's Professor Pine!"

Brock says, "It would be interesting to hear Professor Pine give a lecture on his topic of expertise."

Ash exclaims, "Yeah, not to mention he's got to know a whole lot of stuff about space that he can show us while stargazing."

Brock nods. "Alright then, let's wait here until tonight."

Brenda looks down to Kappaqua and asks, "How about you Kappaqua, do you think that you'll have fun there?"

Kappaqua nods. "Kappa."

* * *

It's now sunset. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are sitting at the top of a grassy hill, presumably the location of Professor Pine's lecture. All of their Pokémon are also out. A voice says, "Well, well, look who it is."

The three turn to see Professor Pine climbing the hill. Brenda jumps up and exclaims, "Hi Professor, it's nice to see you again!" She holds up Kappaqua. "Look, Kappaqua and I are doing just fine."

Kappaqua smiles. "Kappapapaqua!"

Ash also gets up and points to Turcell, who is basking, soaking in what little sunlight it can at this time. "Turcell's doing great too."

Pine smiles. "I'm glad to hear that." He looks over to Brock. "And you must be Brock. It's nice to meet you in person."

Brock extends a hand to shake. "The same here. It's such an honor to meet you." They shake hands.

"I'm glad you three found out about this little show." Other people can be seen making their way up the hill. "Oh look, it would appear that my audience is beginning to arrive."

A young man approaches from behind. He's wearing an elegant black suit, which is speckled with white, giving it the appearance of a night sky. He has dark purple hair, almost the color of the night sky as well. Attached to his belt is a personal telescope. He says, "Good evening Professor. I hope you don't mind me dropping in."

Pine turns around. "Galileo, how nice to see you again. Of course I don't mind."

The man, Galileo, asks, "And who are these children?"

"These are trainers who passed through my lab a little while back. Ash, Brock, and Brenda." He turns back to them. "I'll presume that you three already know who this is?"

Ash and Brenda shake their heads, but Brock nods. Brock looks to Brenda and asks, "Brenda, do you really not know who the Champion of your own region is?"

Brenda laughs and shakes her head again. "I'm sorry, but I was never that knowledgeable about that kind of stuff. All the towns on Tenno Minor, where I come from, are fairly isolated from it"

Ash and Pikachu are looking at Galileo with their mouths agape. "Did you just say that he's the Tenno Champion?"

Galileo chuckles and responds, "Guilty as charged." He pulls his telescope off of his belt, unfolds it, and uses it to look up into the sky. "Tonight's going to be a great night for stargazing."

Ash is amazed. "Wow, that's so cool. I can't believe the Champion of the Tenno Region is standing right in front of me."

Brock asks, "If you don't mind me asking, what brings you here Galileo?"

Galileo puts his telescope back away. He explains, "You see, I am an avid stargazer. The thought of space just exhilarates me. I like to come to events such as this in my down time, so that maybe I can inspire the next generation of stargazers and trainers alike." By this point, an entire crowd of people have gathered around, all staring with awe at Galileo. He looks out to them. "And you remember this kids, outer space will always be there. If ever you need an inspiration, simply look to the night sky above."

A voice from the crowd suddenly declares, "Galileo, I challenge you to a battle!"

Gasps of shock fill the audience. Galileo looks in the direction from which the voice came. With curiosity he asks, "Who said that?"

The crowd splits, and Ryu steps forward, Dratini draped around his shoulders. "I did. I know that your most powerful Pokémon is a Dragon-Type. I'd like the chance to battle it."

Several murmurs can be heard from the crowd, such as, "Who is he?" "What does he think he's doing?" and, "He can't just challenge the champion like that!"

Ash shouts, "Hey, Ryu, good to see you again!"

Ryu looks towards Ash, sighs, but ignores him otherwise. He approaches Galileo. "Well, what's your answer?"

Galileo looks him over, sizing him up. "I do not normally accept challenges outside of official matches, but then again, I don't normally get challenged outside of official matches. I like your go-getter attitude. Fine, we shall have a battle under the stars."

Professor Pine says, "Well kids, it looks like you're in for a real treat tonight. An actual battle by the Tenno Champion." Everyone cheers.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**The tuft on this Pokémon's head holds water. When the level runs low, it replenishes the tuft by siphoning up water with its tail.**

* * *

It's now nighttime. The sky is a vast and crisp star scape. Ryu and Galileo have taken positions on either side of the hill. Galileo seems to be paying more attention to the starts than Ryu, as he is using his telescope to look up at them. After a moment more of that, he folds it back up and puts away. He asks, "Alright Ryu, what are the rules of your challenge?"

"We'll have a full six-on-six match."

Galileo nods. "Alright. I can agree to that." He pulls out a Pokéball and enlarges it. "Since you seemed so fixated on my Dragon-Type," he throws the Pokéball. "Reach for the stars Dracosmic!" Galileo's Pokémon is a long serpentine dragon. Its skin is pitch-black, and it is covered in many points of light, including several larger ones that can be traced in a line going up its back. It seems like this Pokémon mimics the night sky. Despite its snake-like shape, it does have arms and legs.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Wow, that's an awesome-looking Pokémon!"

The Pokédex says, "Dracosmic, the Dragon Constellation Pokémon, and a Dragon and Light Combo-Type. The larger points of light on Dracosmic's scales align perfectly with the stars in the constellation Draco, leading historians to speculate that it was the ancients' basis for the constellation. Dracosmic have the ability to float, and will often be found flying during the night, when their bodies blend in with the starry sky, but people rarely realize what they're seeing. Evolves from Serpenstar at level 50."

Brenda marvels, "Wow, it's stunningly beautiful."

Professor Pine says, "We're in for a real treat. That Pokémon is Galileo's favorite and best. The two of them have been partners since back when Galileo first challenged the Tenno League. This is certain to be a show."

Ryu throws a Pokéball. "Druddigon, to Battle!"

A large Druddigon emerges from the ball. "Druddigon!"

Galileo nods and says, "Please, take the first attack."

Ryu declares, "Druddigon, move in close and use Night Slash!" Druddigon gathers dark energy around its claws and stampedes towards Dracosmic.

Brenda exclaims, "A Dark-Type move like Night Slash will be super effective against a Light-Type like Dracosmic!"

Professor Pines objects, "Yes, but type advantage is nothing compared to good training."

Ash asks, "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out soon."

Druddigon is just about to attack Dracosmic, when Galileo declares, "Into the air Dracosmic!" The dragon floats magically into air. Druddigon slashes, but can't hit.

Ryu quickly commands, "Alright then, use Dragon Rage!"

"Druddigon!" Druddigon launches an orb of energy into the air. Dracosmic gracefully dances through the sky and dodges it.

Galileo then states, "Alright, it's time to attack. Use Dragon Force!" Dracosmic dances and twists around itself, and begins to glow purple. It then unleashes this energy in a beam of intense force that Druddigon has no chance of avoiding.

Druddigon is knocked out. "Drud…"

Ryu grunts and recalls Druddigon.

Professor Pine explains, "You see, Ryu didn't make any mistakes necessarily, and even using advantageous moves, his Pokémon was still no match for Dracosmic's superior training."

Brock nods in awe. "It's no wonder he's the Champion."

Off to the side of the hill, Team Rocket is peeking over at the battle. Jessie says, "Wow, that Dragon Twerp's Pokémon was just defeated in one hit."

Meowth nods. "Yeah, that Champion's Pokémon is something else."

James suddenly exclaims, "Hey, I've got an idea! What if we let the battle between those Dragon Pokémon go on, and then when both sides are weak, we go in collect a draconic plethora of Pokémon for The Boss."

Meowth says, "That's a great idea."

All three cheer, "Let's do it!" The sound of them cheering grabs Ash's attention, as he looks over his shoulder towards Team Rocket. They duck down just in time to avoid being spotted. They shush each other.

Wobbuffet emerges. "Wobbuffet!"

They shush Wobbuffet as well as they shove it down to where it can't be seen.

Ryu throws another Pokéball. "Galacerta, to battle!"

Brock states, "Interesting, Dracosmic is the fully evolved form of Galacerta."

Ash asks, "If that's the case, what does he hope to accomplish?"

Brock shrugs. "It's impossible to tell."

Ryu commands, "Galacerta, Dragon Breath!"

"Dodge, and use another Dragon Force!" Dracosmic once more elegantly dodges the attack by dancing around it, and then unleashes another beam of draconic energy.

Ryu shouts, "Quickly Galacerta, Light Screen!"

"Certa!" Galacerta summons a box of energy around itself. However, the attack travels straight through, and still hits Galacerta, knocking it out.

Brenda comments, "That's what he gets for using Galacerta against its evolved form."

Brock shakes his head. "No, there was strategy there. The Light Screen attack continues to work, even after the Pokémon that used it gets knocked out. Now Ryu's next Pokémon will have some protection against Dracosmic's attack."

Brenda nods. "Oh, I get it."

Ryu pulls out his next Pokéball. "Fraxure, to battle!"

"Fraxxxure!"

Ryu commands, "Leap up and use Duel Chop!" Fraxure leaps to the height of Dracosmic and its tusks glow green. It attempts to hit the opponent with its tusk.

Galileo counters, "Hit it away with your tail, Dracosmic!" Dracosmic swipes its tail at Fraxure, knocking it back to the ground. "And now finish this one with another Dragon Force!" Dracosmic unleashes what appears to be its signature attack again. The Light Screen from earlier reappears to protect Fraxure, but it still does nothing. Fraxure is knocked out.

Ryu grunts and returns Fraxure.

Galileo states, "Even with your Light Screen up, your Pokémon can not stand up to mine. Dracosmic has defeated half of your team already, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to call the battle off now."

Ryu shakes his head. "No, I will see this battle through until my last Dragon." He pulls out another Pokéball. "Gabite, to battle!"

Ash states, "Hey, it looks like Ryu's Gible evolved into a Gabite!"

This time, Galileo makes the first command. "Why prolong this? Use Dragon Force."

Ryu counters, "Quickly Gabite, dig!" Gabite digs into the ground, allowing it to avoid Dracosmic's attack.

Galileo advises, "Pay careful attention to your surroundings Dracosmic, it could pop back up anywhere, at any time."

After a moment, Ryu suddenly shouts, "Now Gabite!" Gabite leaps out of the ground behind Dracosmic with its claws glowing for a Dragon Claw.

It is about to hit it when Galileo shouts, "Dragon Force, behind you!" Dracosmic quickly charges its attack and unleashes it straight backwards, without even having to look. Once again, the Light Screen does nothing to protect Gabite. Ryu is forced to recall it.

Ryu pulls out another Pokéball. "Time for my secret weapon. Noivern, to battle!"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex and says, "That's an odd looking Pokémon."

The Pokédex states, "Noivern, the Sound Wave Pokémon and a Flying and Dragon Combo-Type. Noivern's ears also serve as amplifiers, allowing it to hit with devastating sound-based attacks. It can navigate dark tunnels using only its hearing. Evolves from Noibat at level 48."

Professor Pine states, "Noivern was a good choice. Its sound-based attacks can be nearly impossible to dodge. It may actually be able to land a hit."

Ryu commands, "Dragon Pulse Noivern!"

Galileo counters, "Dodge it!"

Noivern attacks with a sphere of energy, but Dracosmic effortlessly and gracefully dodges it again. Ryu then suddenly declares, "Boomburst, quickly!"

Noivern releases a shockwave of sound. "Nooooooivernnn!"

Galileo calmly states, "I think we'll need to use Protect this time." Dracosmic projects a barrier around itself which is apparently soundproof, as the attack does absolutely nothing. "As your barrier lowers, use Dragon Force."

Ryu quickly shouts, "Dodge it! Get out of the way!" Noivern attempts to fly upwards, dodging the attack at first, but Dracosmic changes the angle of the beam and makes contact. The Light Screen reappears, but does nothing. Noivern is knocked out.

Ash says with disbelief, "Wow, Ryu is down to his last Pokémon, just like that."

Ryu does not seem pleased. He looks to Dratini on his shoulders. "It is up to you now my friend."

Dratini nods. "Tini." It slithers down his arm and onto the ground.

Ryu commands, "Dragon Dance Dratini!" Dratini twists and turns as a red energy glows around it.

Galileo commands, "Stop the dance now, Dragon Force!"

"Dodge it!" Dracosmic attacks, but Dratini dodges it with an incredible burst of speed.

Ash says, "Wow that was fast! Dratini's gotten faster since Pikachu battled it."

Brock explains, "Dragon Dance is move that boosts the user's power and speed. What you're seeing is that result."

"Another Dragon Dance Dratini!" Dratini renews its dance.

"We've got to hit it Dracosmic. Dragon Force!"

"Dodge it again, and then continue!" Dratini doges even faster than before, and then does its dance once more. "Now that we're all charged up, go in for Dragon Rush!" Dratini generates a field of green energy shaped like a dragon and prepares to leap.

Galileo quickly commands, "Don't let it get close! It's time for our secret weapon, Draco Meteor!" Dracosmic gathers energy and then unleashes an orb of that energy into the night sky.

Dratini lunges towards Dracosmic with blinding speed. "Draaaa tiniiii!" As it's flying towards Dracosmic, the orb of energy splits into countless meteors that plunge towards the ground. Dratini manages to avoid a few, but the sheer number overwhelms it, and it is hit by several, knocking it back to the ground. The Light Screen does absolutely nothing to help it. Dratini is knocked out.

Ryu is shocked at first, but he quickly hides it. Without a word, he walks over to Dratini and picks it up.

Galileo recalls Dracosmic. "Thank you my friend, you did a great job." He approaches Ryu. "That was a great battle. You put up quite the fight."

Ryu takes a deep breath, looks up to Galileo, and says, "Thank you for your time." He turns around and walks off.

Ash looks to Brock and Brenda and says, "There's something I've got to do, I'll be right back." He and Pikachu run off after Ryu.

* * *

**It's Simipour!**

* * *

Ryu is in a small forest clearing near the hill. All six of his Pokémon are lying on the floor, still knocked out and damaged from the fight. He looks over his Pokémon and sighs.

Ash says, "Tough break, huh?"

Ryu quickly turns around with surprise to see Ash sitting on a boulder behind him. Ryu sighs and says, "Oh, it's you."

Ash jumps up and off the rock and walks over to Ryu. "Yeah, it is me." He looks over Ryu's Pokémon. "It can be hard losing a battle that badly. I know from experience."

Ryu laughs slightly. "You don't know anything about my situation."

"Actually, I do. You see, just the other day I had a battle with Skyler, the Atmos City Gym Leader. It was a three-on-three match, but his one Pokémon defeated all three of mine with only a single hit to each. It's just like what you just went through."

"If you're trying to make me feel better, you're not helping. You do not use Dragon-Type Pokémon, I do. I hold myself to a higher standard."

Ash now sighs. "You really shouldn't think that way. All Pokémon have their strengths and weaknesses, no matter the type. What matters is how you train them."

"You've given me this speech before. Why don't you just save it for someone who cares, and allow me to treat my Pokémon?"

Ash turns around and begins to walk away. Before he leaves, he stops to say, "You know, I have feeling that someday you'll learn why you're wrong." Ash leaves.

Ryu shakes his head with annoyance. He bends down and strokes Dratini's back. After a few moments, he hears a rustling behind him. Without looking back, he states, "What, did your friend not patronize me enough?"

Brock steps into the clearing. He says, "Don't worry, I'm not here to continue what Ash started. I'm a Pokémon Doctor. I came to see if I could help."

Ryu looks to him, and then down to his Pokémon. "Yeah, sure. Thanks."

Brock walks over to Dratini, kneels down, and takes off his backpack. From it he removes a stethoscope and puts it on. He give Dratini a quick look over. "The damage doesn't seem too bad. Your Dratini is a hardy Pokémon." Ryu nods, but doesn't respond. Brock goes back into his bag and removes a Super Potion bottle. He sprays Dratini at several spots. The damage begins to fade. Brock then moves onto Noivern. He says, "You know, you really should give Ash a chance."

Ryu scoffs. "Why would I do that?"

Brock administers the Potion to Noivern and moves to Gabite. "Because he's actually a really good person if you get the chance to know him. Across all of my years as a Gym Leader at Pewter City, I never met a single trainer who is more determined and caring towards his Pokémon than Ash." After giving the medicine to Gabite, he walks towards Fraxure.

"And I suppose I should instantly like him because of that?"

Brock shakes his head as he sprays Fraxure. "No, that's not what I meant." He takes a moment to heal Galacerta and then beckons to all of Ryu's Pokémon. "I can tell these Pokémon mean a lot to you. You really do care for them, and they really care for you. I think that you and Ash are a lot more alike than either of you are willing to admit." He moves to Druddigon and gives it the last of the Super Potion. When Ryu doesn't respond, Brock asks something different. "So what is your connection to Dragon-Type Pokémon? Why do you only train them?"

Ryu looks to his Dratini, now sleeping peacefully. "Because of Dratini. It was many years ago." He takes a moment to reminisce. "I was a young boy, and I got lost in the forest. I was attacked by a heard of Granbull." Ryu adds under his breath, "Fairy-Types, despicable cretins." He then continues, "I was cornered by them, and all hope seemed lost. That's when that very Dratini leaped out of a nearby lake and came to my aid. It didn't matter that it was weak against them, it kept on fighting, all to protect me, a person who it had never met before. It eventually fought them off. After that, Dratini and I became good friends. On that day I saw how noble, majestic, and powerful the Dragon-Type could be. I swore that I would only train Dragon Pokémon, and that one day I would become a Dragon Master."

Brock nods. "I see. You're bond with Dratini is incredible." Brock pulls out something else from his bag and hands it to Ryu. It's a handful of Oran Berries. "When your Pokémon wake up, feed them these. They should be as good as ever after that."

Ryu takes them and nods. "Thank you."

"I'm just doing my job."

* * *

Brock has just climbed back up the hill. Galileo asks, "How are his Pokémon doing?"

Brock responds, "They'll be fine."

Galileo nods. "I'm glad to hear it."

Ash approaches Galileo and says, "That was a great battle to watch. You have to be one of the strongest trainers I've ever seen. I'd love to have a battle with you someday."

Galileo smiles. "Thank you." He looks Ash over. "I'm certain that if you keep on working, we will meet in the field of battle someday." Ash smiles.

They are suddenly interrupted by Ryu shouting, "Stop, give back my Pokémon!"

Everyone looks to the bottom of the hill to see Team Rocket's balloon emerging from the trees, and Ryu running behind them. Dangling below the balloon is a net holding Ryu's Pokémon. They're all struggling to break free, but to no avail.

Brenda asks, "What happened!?"

Ryu shouts, "These clowns came in and scooped up my Pokémon while they were recovering!

Jessie declares, "He wasn't prepared for trouble!"

James states, "So we made it double!"

"We protected the world from devastation!"

"And united all people within our nation!"

"We denounced the evils of truth and love!"

"And extended our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasted off at the speed of light!"

"He didn't surrender, so instead it was a fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash shouts, "Team Rocket, how could you?!" He runs towards the edge of the hill with Pikachu and shouts, "Don't worry, I'm coming!" Using the leverage of the hill, he leaps towards the balloon and clings to the net. "I won't let you take these Pokémon."

Jessie looks down and says, "I think we have a twerp infestation."

Meowth grins and presses a button. "I'll call the exterminator." A laser gun lowers from the bottom of the basket. It fires a shot at Ash, who avoids it by swinging to the side.

Ash looks to Pikachu, who is hanging on next to him and says, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt on that."

"Pikaaaaa chuuuu!"

Pikachu's lightning bolt is sent at the gun, but Meowth presses another button and says, "Oh no you don't!" A reflecting dish extends around the peripheral of the weapon and absorbs, then reflects Pikachu's Thunderbolt. The reflected attack zaps Ash. Meowth explains, "Anything you throw at us, we can throw back."

Ash looks the trapped Pokémon, and then back to Pikachu and says, "I don't care if it hurts me Pikachu, you've got to keep up your attack and overload the system."

Pikachu gives a shocked, "Pika!?"

"Just do it Pikachu!"

Pikachu resentfully nods and unleashes a long duration Thunderbolt. Ash instantly begins to be shocked, but he ignores it the best he can.

Ryu looks at Ash with a mixture of awe and disgust. He thinks, _What does he think he's doing!?_

From a distance, Galileo observes with awe. He thinks, _Wow, Ash is willing to hurt himself to save someone else's Pokémon, someone who doesn't even like him._

Back with Ash, he grunts, "Just…keep…it…up…Pikachu!"

Team Rocket laughs. Meowth declares, "You'll never get past our twerp-proof security system."

Suddenly Galileo shouts, "Dracosmic, Dragon Force!" A beam of energy suddenly appears and hits the bottom of the basket, destroying the weapon, and severing the connection between the net and the balloon. After landing with a thud on the ground, Ash looks back to see Galileo at the edge of the hill commanding Dracosmic.

James shouts, "Hey, no outside interference!"

Jessie adds, "Yeah, this is between us and the Twerp!"

Galileo ignores them and states, "Dracosmic, a Draco Meteor if you'd please."

"Draco!" Dracosmic gathers its energy and then unleashes its barrage of meteors, several of which impact Team Rocket's balloon causing an explosion.

The explosion sends Team Rocket flying into the sky shouting, "It looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" as they turn into another star in the sky.

Ryu runs towards his Pokémon. They all escape from the net and run towards him. They embrace. Showing an uncharacteristic amount of emotion, he says, "I'm so glad you guys are all alright. I was so worried." They all express their happiness as well. He pulls out several Pokéballs. "Alright, why don't you guys all return?" He recalls them. He then allows Dratini to crawl up onto his shoulders. He looks to Ash, and gives a slight nod of thanks, turns around, and begins to walk away.

Ash calls out, "Ryu."

Ryu stops and looks back. "What?"

"Let's have another battle again someday."

Ryu turns back around. As he's walking into the trees, he says, "We will." He's gone.

* * *

Later that night, after Professor Pine's show is over, he, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Galileo are the last ones on the hill. Brock is saying, "Well, we'd better get to finding a place to camp out."

The professor responds, "Thank you all so much for coming, it was nice to see you again."

Brenda nods. "It was good to see you too Professor."

Galileo says, "And it was my pleasure to meet you three."

Ash says, "No, the pleasure was ours. It's a great honor to meet the Tenno Champion."

Galileo laughs. "You know, no matter how many people call me that, I'll never get used to it." He stops and thinks for a moment. "Oh, and Ash."

"Yes."

"Before, when I told you that we would battle someday, I said it more to be polite than anything else. I get many people saying that their goal is to battle me, but then they never make it. But then I saw your determination when fighting Team Rocket. That took a special something, something that now makes me believe that we will meet in battle, and I look forward to that time."

Ash smiles. "Wow, thank you Galileo. I'm looking forward to it too."

Professor Pine turns to Brenda. "Oh, and Brenda, I thought you might like to know that there's a Pokémon Contest being held in Orbitz City."

Brenda looks excited. "Really!?" She turns to Brock. "Where's that?"

Brock checks the Pokéssistant. "It's really close by. We can make very soon."

Brenda smiles. "That's great, I'm looking forward to it."

Pine smiles as well. "I'm glad I could help."

Brenda says, "Alright, it's getting late, let's get going."

Ash and Brock nod. They wave to Professor Pine and Galileo and leave.

_After what was supposed to be a calm evening of stargazing, Ash and friends sure have had an exciting night. Even more so, Ash now has not one, but two battles to look forward to. If you're looking forward to them as well, stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	23. Episode 23: Old Friends, New Tricks

Episode 23: Old Friends, New Tricks

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking down a path in a city. Up ahead of them is a magnificent dome-shaped building. Brenda runs towards it and shouts, "Professor Pine was right, there is a Pokémon Contest going on here! I'm going to go register!" She runs towards the building.

_Having been told by Professor Pine that Pokémon Contest was to be held soon in Orbitz City, our heroes rushed there, Brenda hopeful of her chances of earning her first ribbon!_

Brenda rushes into the Contest Hall, Ash and Brock behind her. Once inside, she runs up to the front desk and says to the receptionist, "Hello, I'd like to register for the Pokémon Contest."

The receptionist smiles and says, "You're just in time. Registration closes in another 10 minutes. May I see your Contest Pass?" Brenda nods, pulls out her card, and hands it to the receptionist. After typing a couple of things in her computer she hands the card back and says, "Alright, you're all good to go."

Brenda bows. "Thank you very much."

Someone behind them says, "Well, well, barely making it in time as usual I see. Some things never change."

Brenda turns around to see a girl about her age, maybe a little older. She has slightly wavy, sandy blond hair that goes down to just above her shoulders. She wears a blue and white shirt with a blue skirt. Brenda asks in surprise, "Michelle, is that you?"

The girl laughs, "Of course it's me Brenda!"

Brenda runs over to her and the two hug. Brenda says with excitement, "It's so good to see you again Michelle!"

"And I'm happy to see you. It's been too long."

Brenda nods. "It has been." Brenda turns to Ash and Brock and says, "Guys, this is Michelle, she was my neighbor back in Launch Town! We grew up together. She was my best friend. She left on her Pokémon journey a couple of months before me."

Ash greets, "Hi, I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu."

"Pika!"

Brock says, "And my name's Brock, I'm a Pokémon doctor."

Michelle nods. "It's nice to meet you Ash, Pikachu, and Brock. You're friends of Brenda's?"

Brenda answers, "They sure are. I met them both back on my first day on my journey. Ash is training to be a Pokémon Master, and Brock travels the region helping Pokémon Centers and sick Pokémon. I don't know where I'd be without them."

Michelle laughs. "Knowing how absent minded you can be, that doesn't surprise me." She beckons them towards the door. "Come on, let's catch up outside." They all leave.

As they leave, another group comes in. Two men, one short, one tall, in trench coats, as well as a woman wearing a magnificent dress. It's Jessie in her Jessileia costume with James and Meowth. They walk up to the counter and James says, "We'd like to enter the beautiful Princess Jessileia into this Contest."

The receptionist smiles. "Just in time too, there are only minutes to spare. May I see your Contest Pass?"

Jessie produces her ID. "This should suffice."

The receptionist takes it and enters her. "Alright, everything checks out. Good luck in the Contest."

Jessie scoffs, "Ha, you don't need luck when you're as beautiful as I." She takes back her pass. Team Rocket turns around and walks out.

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Michelle are sitting in a grassy promenade next to the Contest Hall. All around them coordinators train with their various Pokémon. Kappaqua is sitting on Brenda's lap. Brenda asks, "So Michelle, did you come here to watch the Pokémon Contest?"

Michelle laughs. "No silly, I'm here to compete!"

Brenda gasps, "You're a Pokémon coordinator?"

Michelle laughs again. "Come on Brenda, how many times did I tell you that it was my dream to become a Top Coordinator?"

Brenda shrugs. "I'm not sure I ever remember you telling me that. In fact, I hadn't even heard of Pokémon Contests until the night before I left on my journey."

"Wow Brenda, you really haven't changed. You may be on a Pokémon journey, but you're just as clueless and forgetful as ever. I had to have explained to you what a Pokémon Contest was at least twenty times."

Brenda scratches the back of her head in embarrassment. "Is that so?" She laughs awkwardly. Looking for a change in subject, Brenda asks, "So did you end up picking Kappaqua, Turcell, or Sporout as your first Pokémon?"

Michelle giggles and pulls out a Pokéball. "Try none of the above." She opens the ball and releases a Pokémon. It's a Poliwhirl.

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Poliwhirl, the Tadpole Pokémon and a Water-Type. Poliwhirl are just as able to move in water as they can on land. The spiral on its chest is used as a defense mechanism, as it causes those who stare into it to become sleepy. Evolves from Poliwag at level 25 and into Poliwrath by exposure to a Water Stone or Politoed by exposure to a King's Rock."

Brenda is surprised. "Wow Michelle, is that the same Poliwag?"

Michelle smiles and nods. "You bet it is. I decided that I wanted to be different, so instead of picking one of Professor Pine's Pokémon, I decided to ask my friend Poliwag if it wanted to come with me."

Brenda looks to Poliwhirl and says, "It's great to see you again Poliwhirl."

Poliwhirl appears happy. "Poli!"

Kappaqua gets up off of Brenda's lap and walks over to Poliwhirl. It greets, "Kappapapa!"

Poliwhirl nods and responds with a, "Whirl!"

Brock states, "That's a very nice Poliwhirl, how did you meet it?"

Michelle explains, "Back when Brenda and I were young, we used to go to play in the forest outside of town. There was this lake filled with Pokémon out there. One of them was this Poliwhirl, back when it was a Poliwag. It loved playing with us in the water." Michelle suddenly gets up. "You know what Brenda? I've got an idea." She picks up Poliwhirl and beckons them forward. "Come with me!" She runs off.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda look to each other, get up, and run after her.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**A poor walker, this Pokémon often falls down. However, its strong pride makes it puff up its chest without a care.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Michelle have ran into the forest on the outskirts of the city. Michelle has lead them to a lake. Brenda marvels, "Wow, it's just like the lake we used to play at!"

Michelle nods. "You bet it is! It caught my eye on the way in. Anyways, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to show you something that Poliwhirl and I have be practicing." She looks to Poliwhirl and asks, "Are you ready Poliwhirl?"

It nods. "Poli!" It leaps into the lake.

Michelle shouts, "Alright, let's do it!" Poliwhirl dives under the water. Just below the surface, Poliwhirl begins to swim around in circles. It picks up speed, going faster and faster. The speed of its swimming starts to create a whirlpool. Michelle then commands, "Alright, it's time, do it now!" Poliwhirl turns 90 degrees, towards the center of the whirlpool, and then swims straight up, exiting the water and leaping straight into the air. After going several feet into the air, it tucks its arms and legs in, assuming a cannonball position. It turns itself so that its face is straight up, and uses Water Gun to propel itself downwards. With the added velocity of Water Gun jet, it slams into the center of the whirlpool. The force of it hitting the center of the whirlpool, causes the edges of the whirlpool to lift up and form a circular wave that spreads out across the lake. Poliwhirl then leaps out of the lake and takes a bow.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda clap. Brenda says in awe, "Wow, I remember when we used to compete to see who could get a wild Pokémon to do that better! I've never seen the waves get so big.

Michelle chuckles. "Yeah, Poliwhirl and I have actually spent a lot of spare time over the past year practicing for that. We figured it might be a good show for a Contest someday."

Brenda nods. "It sure would be." She suddenly gets an idea. She pulls out a Pokéball. "Hey! Why don't Kappaqua and I give it a try?"

Michelle laughs. "You're welcome to try, but don't expect any results like mine. As I said, we've been practicing."

"We'll see about that." She lets Kappaqua out and says, "Hey Kappaqua, you want to try out a fun little technique?"

Kappaqua nods eagerly. "Kappa!"

"Alright, just do exactly as I say. First, let's get into the water." Kappaqua jumps up, and performs a backflip as it dives into the water. It gives a thumbs up. "Alright, now dive down just below the surface in the center of the lake. Once you're there, you're going to start swimming around in circles as fast as you can." Kappaqua nods, swims to the center, and begins to swim in circles. It achieves high speeds, faster than that of Poliwhirl. After several rotations, a whirlpool begins to form. Brenda observes, waiting for the right moment. After the whirlpool has grown to a large size, Brenda shouts, "Alright Kappaqua, swim to the center and leap into the air!"

Kappaqua does as it's told and leaps up. "Kap pa!"

"Now take a cannonball position, but angle your head straight up! Once you've done that, maximum power Water Gun!" Kappaqua rolls up and blasts water starting at the apex of its jump. The water combined with gravity forces it down at high velocities. Upon impacting the water, it turns the whirlpool into a tidal wave just as Poliwhirl did, except this circular wave is much bigger. Brenda cheers, "Yeah, good job Kappaqua!"

Ash and Brock clap. Ash congratulates, "Wow, that wave had to have been at least twice as big!"

Michelle is stunned. "H…how did you do that?"

Brenda shrugs. "I don't know, I just did."

Michelle sighs. "It's always been like this. I'll work hard at something, and you won't practice at all, and yet you always do better." She shakes her head and sighs again. "Some things really don't change."

Brenda shrugs again. "Eh, that's just how it works sometimes."

Michelle forces a smile. "Yeah…right." After a moment's hesitation, she asks, "Just tell me, how much preparation have you put into this Contest?"

Brenda thinks it over. "Well…there was the time I did that…oh, and there was this thing as well…" After a moment more she answers, "A grand total of…practically nothing."

Michelle shakes her head and says with a combination of disbelief and annoyance, "Of course."

* * *

**It's Piplup!**

* * *

James and Meowth are hiding behind some bushes. In front of them are countless coordinators practicing with their Pokémon for the Contest. There are Pokémon catching balls, Pokémon jumping through hoops, and Pokémon doing backflips. Meowth whispers to James, "Just look at all those Pokémon, prime for the picking."

James looks to Meowth and asks, "Why would we want to steal all of these Contest type Pokémon?"

Meowth smiles. "I'm glad you asked. For you see, it's for The Boss. Imagine this: The Boss is sitting in his fancy mansion, but there's nothing for him to do. He's tried to entertain himself by shouting at his worthless underlings," Meowth's fantasy shows Giovanni shouting at Butch and Cassidy, "but it's no use. The Boss is just having one of those days. He tries all those things to lighten his mood; he swims in his swimming pool, he plays a round of golf, but none of it is of any help. That's where we come in." Meowth and James appear, bringing in a cage full of the coordinator's Pokémon. "We bring in our plethora of performing Pokémon and put on a show for The Boss." The Pokémon are let out of their cage, and perform various routines. "We'll put on a full blown Pokémon circus for The Boss. Watching this show will make The Boss so happy that he'll say," Meowth voices for Giovanni, "With this great Pokémon show, I'll never be bored again. Meowth and friend deserve a major promotion!" The fantasy ends.

James cheers, "Yeah, that's what we need! Let's do it!" He reaches to his belt to get a Pokéball, but pulls up a piece of paper instead. In shock, he demands, "What!? Where are my Pokéballs!?"

Meowth asks, "What's the paper say?"

James reads aloud, "James, I decided that I needed to change up my Pokémon roster, so I borrowed Haking and Mime Jr. I'm off training with them now. Signed the most beautiful Pokémon coordinator to ever live, Jessie." James throws the paper to the ground and stomps on it angrily, "How dare she take my precious Pokémon without asking me!? Mime Jr., Haking! Please be alright!"

Meowth states, "Calm down, they're with Jessie."

James nods. "That's why I'm afraid."

Meowth reconsiders. "Good point. I'd be scared for them if I were you."

James shakes his head. He declares with determination "I'll just have to hope they're okay. We need to catch some Pokémon. It's on to plan B!" After a moment he asks, "So…what's plan B?"

Meowth shrugs. "Beats me."

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Michelle are walking back from the lake. Poliwhirl is on Michelle's shoulders, and Kappaqua is being carried by Brenda. Brenda asks, "So Michelle, how many Contests have you been already? How many ribbons do you have? I'll bet that since you got almost a year's head start on me, you have a whole bunch."

Michelle chuckles awkwardly. "Yeah…not really. I spent the first several months training with Poliwhirl and catching some other Pokémon. I wanted to make sure I was ready before I entered my first Contest. This is actually only the second Contest I've entered."

Ash asks, "What happened in your first Contest?"

"I made it all the way to semi-finals, where I battled this handsome coordinator with a Ravenoir. He beat me. He really was talented."

Brock chuckles. "That sounds familiar."

Brenda says with surprise, "That was Will! He beat me during my first Contest too! He actually told me afterwards that I had a lot of natural talent."

Michelle is shocked. "Oh my gosh, you actually met and talked to him?" She smiles smugly and nudges Brenda. "He's pretty handsome, isn't he?"

Brenda blushes. "Um…yeah…handsome…I guess." Looking for a way out of this topic, Brenda states, "So it would seem that we're both even in terms of Contest experience."

Michelle slowly nods and states, "Maybe…if you don't count the fact that I've certainly trained for much longer than you have."

Brenda laughs. "We'll see about that."

They reach the promenade of the Contest Hall. As soon as they do, three mechanical hands reach over to them and grab Pikachu, Kappaqua, and Poliwhirl. Everyone jumps back in surprise. The hands retract towards the source. It's a large cylindrical robot covered in long mechanical arms. Emblazoned on its chest is a large red R. Its other arms have captured the other coordinators' Pokémon. The Pokémon are all loaded up in a large tank strapped to the machine's back. Michelle shouts, "What just happened!?"

James and Meowth climb up out of the mech. Meowth declares, "Prepare for trouble, I'm finally getting my go!"

James declares, "Make it double, Meowth you better not screw up this show!"

"To protect this motto from a missing member!"

"To unite all the lines that we can remember!"

"To denounce the evils of underused speakers!"

"To extend the reach of the motto seekers!"

"Meowth!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off even one member light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare for a streamlined fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

James whacks Meowth and shouts, "Hey, take your pick! I said you could do Jessie's lines! Don't double up and do your own as well!"

Meowth rubs the back of his head where he was hit. "Sorry, force of habit."

Ash states, "Um…I think you're a member short…"

James shouts, "Didn't you listen to the motto!? We explained it there! Jeez, no respect for the motto!"

Michelle asks, "Who are they?"

Brenda answers, "They're Team Rocket, a group of Pokémon thieves."

"That's awful!"

Meowth shouts, "Come on, we explained that too in the motto! Does no one listen to the motto!?"

Michelle shouts, "You'd better give back my Pokémon!"

James scoffs, "Or you'll do what? We're the one with the giant robot!"

Ash pulls out a Pokéball and starts to say, "I'll stop you-"

He is cut off by Brenda saying, "No Ash, let us do this." Ash looks over to see Brenda and Michelle pulling out their own Pokéballs, both looking determined to get their Pokémon back. Ash lowers his Pokéball. Both of them throw their Pokéballs. Brenda lets out Rabbolt, and Michelle sends out a Darumaka

James laughs. "Ha ha! That's not going to do you any good! Get them Meowth!"

Meowth declares, "Gotta catch 'em all!" as he presses a button on a remote. Two mechanical arms are sent to catch the Pokémon.

Brenda and Michelle both declare, "Dodge it!" Rabbolt jumps straight to the side and Darumaka leaps up, both successfully dodging the arms. The arms twist around in another attempt to catch the Pokémon.

Michelle commands, "Incinerate!"

Brenda commands, "Shockwave!"

Darumaka fires a small ball of fire. Upon hitting, the ball explodes with a high temperature flame that melts through the arm. Rabbolt's bolt of electricity breaks the arm. Both mechanical hands fall to the ground.

Meowth presses another button. "Fine then, try this one on for size!" Several robotic arms are sent at the two Pokémon.

Both trainers shout, "Stay away from the arms!" Both Pokémon begin to continuously dodge the onslaught of arms. Rabbolt uses it jumping ability to hop from arm to arm. Darumaka dodges through a combination of short hops on the ground and rolling. Through their dodging, the two Pokémon slowly make it closer to Team Rocket's robot. The friends then command, "Alright, now get up top!" Rabbolt leaps from an arm to an arm, and Darumaka rolls up an arm, and both make up next to James and Meowth. "Attack now!"

James looks towards Rabbolt on his left, and Meowth looks towards Darumaka on his right. Both gulp.

"Daruuu!"

"Rabbbbolttttt!" Both Pokémon leap into the air and launch the same attack as before, these ones hitting both Team Rocket and their mech. The mech explodes, sending James and Meowth blasting into the sky. Both Pokémon land on either side of the exploded mech.

While flying into the air, Meowth comments, "Aw, the limelight, it felt so nice."

James shouts at him, "Maybe if you were more concerned with building our machine than planning your lines, we wouldn't be in this situation!"

Meowth shrugs. "What's a Pokémon to do?"

James suddenly cries, "I wish I had Mime Jr., it would agree with me!"

Meowth states, "Well, until then, it's just you and me…"

They both shout, "And we're blasting off again!" as they disappear in the distance.

Back on the ground, Brenda, Michelle, Rabbolt, and Darumaka are taking a bow as all the other coordinators, now reunited with their Pokémon, clap.

Brock observes, "Wow, that battle really showed what great friends they are. They were in perfect sync."

Ash nods, as Pikachu runs up to him and hops onto his arm. Ash states, "Kind of like you and me, right buddy?" Pikachu nods.

Michelle turns to Brenda and says, "Well, I guess this is it until we meet again in the Contest."

Brenda asks, "Why?"

Michelle laughs. "Because after seeing what you can do, I'm going to need to fit in all the training I can if I want to beat you." They both laugh. Michelle runs off with Poliwhirl and Darumaka, waving.

Brenda calls, "We'll battle each other for sure!"

Michelle calls back, "Count on it!"

* * *

Some time has passed, the Contest has now begun. Gillian announces from center stage, "Hello one and all, and welcome to the Orbitz City Pokémon Contest! The crowd cheers. Gillian holds up a ribbon. "This is the item the coordinators from around the region have come to claim, the Orbitz Ribbon!" There's more cheering. "Let's meet our fabulous judges! First, it's the Pokémon Contest Director, the wonderful Mr. Contesta!"

Mr. Contesta says, "I love Pokémon Contests, and I'm sure this one will be no different." More cheering.

Gillian continues, "Then it's the outstanding President of the Pokémon Fan Club, Mr. Sukizo!"

Mr. Sukizo declares, "All the coordinators here are sure to be remarkable!" Even more cheering.

"And last but not least, it's Orbitz City's very own Nurse Joy!"

Nurse Joy giggles and says, "Thank you all for having me here." More applause.

"Now it's time to get this Contest going. How about we start things off with the Appeal Round!?" The crowd cheers in approval. "Alright then, here's our first coordinator, Brenda!"

Brenda runs out onto the stage wearing her Contest clothes. There is a loud cheer from the audience, including Ash, Brock, Pikachu, and Kappaqua, who's sitting and clapping with them.

Everything freezes. _Now that Brenda has met up with her old friend, she has a new rival. The upcoming Pokémon Contest is bound to be full of thrills and excitement! You have to stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	24. Episode 24: A Friendly Contest

Episode 24: A Friendly Contest

Gillian announces to the massive Contest audience, "Now it's time to get this Contest going. How about we start things off with the Appeal Round!?" The crowd cheers in approval. "Alright then, here's our first coordinator, Brenda!" Brenda, wearing her Contest dress, runs onto the stage.

_The Orbitz City Pokémon Contest is now underway! Having just reunited with Michelle, Brenda's childhood friend, things are certainly going to be interesting._

Brenda makes it to her position on the stage. She pulls out a Pokéball in a capsule. "Glitterfly, center stage!" As the Pokéball opens up, there are three successive flashes of light caused by the ball's seal, each one growing brighter than the last. The third and final flash is blindingly bright, and once it subsides, Glitterfly has appeared.

"Glittererererfly!"

"Glitterfly, start your performance with String Shot!"

Glitterfly begins to release shiny threads of silk from its mouth, sending them to various points on the walls surrounding the stage. It practically is weaving a web. It flies up and down, weaves left and right, building its intricate structure. Gillian asks over her microphone, "What could Glitterfly be doing? It looks like a flying Ariados weaving its web." After a few moments, it has created a web of 3-D geometric patterns surrounding itself.

It says happily, "Glitterfly!"

"Good job Glitterfly, now let's wow the audience with Flash!" Glitterfly flies into the center of the structure and produces a brilliant glow from its abdomen and wings. Its sparkling light reflects off of all of the various strings of silk, creating a shimmering, kaleidoscopic view.

Gillian is amazed. "Wow, just look at the way Glitterfly's natural bioluminescence is being bounced off of the strands of silk, creating a truly breathtaking display!" The audience oohs and awes.

Ash says, "Wow, did Brenda came up with that all by herself? That's great!"

Brenda is ready for her next move. She commands, "Alright Glitterfly, charge for Solar Beam, but keep up the Flash as well!" As Glitterfly continues to illuminate the web, it also gathers light from its surroundings, causing it to glow and sparkle even more. Brenda declares, "Unleash Solar Beam and spin now!"

"Glitterrrrrrfly!" Glitterfly unleashes the Solar Beam, and spins towards its right as it fires the beam of light. The Solar Beam makes contact with the closest threads of the web, the heat of which instantly causes the strings to ignite. After a few seconds, Glitterfly has spun 360 degrees and lit all of the web surrounding it afire. Within seconds, the fire has spread to the entire web, creating a geometric pattern of fire.

Gillian comments, "Wow, that spectacular web has now served a dual purpose, as it is now the base for a brilliant display of fire, and this from a Pokémon that isn't even a Fire-Type, and has yet to use a single Fire-Type move!"

The fires are now beginning to die out. Brenda says, "Alright, time for the grand finale! Use Flash once more!" Glitterfly generates another burst of light. At first, nothing of note seems to happen, but that quickly changes. Suddenly the air above and surrounding the stage is full of glowing sparkles of golden light.

The audience is impressed. Ash asks, "Where'd all those sparkles come from?"

As if to answer, Gillian proclaims, "Spectacular! Burning away all of that web has filled the air with tiny particles of ash, all which are now reflecting the light of Glitterfly's Flash. It's genius!" Brenda and Glitterfly take a bow. "Let's see what are judges have to say about that performance!"

Mr. Contesta is first. He says, "That performance was the perfect way to demonstrate Glitterfly's natural abilities and beauty. To borrow the words of my colleague, it was remarkable!"

Mr. Sukizo is next, and he complains, "Hey, that's what I was going to say!"

Nurse Joy, who is chuckling at Mr. Sukizo, then says, "That was a show of beauty, grace, and precision. I don't know if anyone could top that." The crowd cheers. Brenda returns Glitterfly and runs back off stage.

* * *

**Who's the Pokémon!?**

**Because it never removes its skull helmet, no one has ever seen this Pokémon's real face.**

* * *

Brenda runs into the coordinator waiting room backstage. She runs over to Michelle, who is now wearing a purple and white dress. Brenda asks, "Did I do okay?"

Michelle looks over to her and says, "Okay!? You did great! Are you really going to tell me that you never practiced for that, it was all improvisation?"

Brenda shrugs. "Not entirely. I told Glitterfly what I envisioned before the contest started."

Michelle shakes her head in disbelief. "Wow."

From the TV in the front of the room, Gillian can be heard saying, "Alright, our next coordinator is the self-proclaimed princess, Jessileia!"

Brenda looks to the TV and says, "Oh, this girl is good. I battled her in my last Contest." Michelle watches as well.

On stage, Jessie, wearing her sparkling black dress and hair in buns, runs onto the stage. She shouts, "Hello one and all, your favorite coordinator, Jessileia is back and better than ever!" She throws a Pokéball. "Come on out Mime Jr. darling!" In a storm of hearts, Mime Jr. emerges from its Pokéball.

James, from the audience, cries in despair, "Oh Mime Jr., please be okay!"

Jessie says, "Alright my little darling, let's give this an audience a show they won't ever forget!" Jessie leaps out onto the stage, standing next to Mime Jr. This seems to confuse most of the audience. Jessie begins to do a little dance. She says, "Alright Mime Jr., use Mimic and copy my every move."

Mime Jr. nods and happily declares, "Mime mime!" It begins copy Jessie's dance moves. The two begin to move in perfect sync. Each dance move that Jessie executes, Mime Jr. copies perfectly. The crowd still seems uncertain of what they're watching.

Jessie then says, "The crowd doesn't seem to understand our act. Why don't we change that? Teeter Dance Mime Jr."

Mime Jr. now takes the lead. It begins to dance differently, now waving its arms to left, and then to its right. "Mime mime mime mime." A light surrounds Jessie, and she begins to dance like Mime Jr. as well. Within a moment, the entire audience as well as Gillian and the judges have been surrounded by the same light. They are compelled to stand up and begin to dance in the same way. Most appear more confused than ever.

Gillian, while dancing, laughs, "Well you look at that, Jessileia has opened up her little dance show to the entire audience! How fun!"

With that, the audience begins to laugh, and start to enjoy themselves. Even Ash, Pikachu, Brock, and Kappaqua are dancing along. Ash says, "I don't want to dance, but I can't help it!"

Brock explains while dancing, "It's Mime Jr.'s Teeter Dance, it causes confusion amongst other Pokémon. In this case, it's making us all dance along."

On the other side of the Contest Hall, James and Meowth are dancing. James is crying as well. "Will you look at that, my little Mime Jr. is a star. I'm so proud."

Both Jessie and Mime Jr. then put an end to the dance with leap into the air, landing on their knees. The audience stops it dancing and cheers.

Mr. Contesta says, "Well, I had quite a fun time dancing around like that. It was truly unique and unorthodox performance that had Mime Jr. both copying and being copied."

Mr. Sukizo proclaims, "The dancing of this audience is remarkable!"

Nurse Joy smiles and says, "It was an unexpected performance to say the least, but creative."

Gillian announces, "Well there you have it, give it up for Jessileia!" The crowd claps. Jessie takes a bow. Mime Jr. copies. After getting back up, she turns to the other side of the room and bows. She turns and bows again. She continues to take bows, maybe a few too many, before running off stage, Mime Jr. following.

* * *

**It's Cubone!**

* * *

Gillian announces, "Alright, it's time for our next contestant. She's another coordinator from Launch Town! Give it up for Michelle!"

Michelle runs out onto the stage and the audience claps. She waves and then pulls out her Pokéball. As she throws it, she declares, "Darumaka, come on out!" In a whirlwind of flames, Darumaka appears.

Backstage, Brenda observes, "That's the Pokémon Michelle used to battle Team Rocket."

She pulls out her Pokédex. "Darumaka, the Zen Charm Pokémon, and a Fire-Type. When Darumaka pull in their arms and legs, they can be impossible to knock over. No matter how much force is used to push them, they will return to being right-side up. Evolves into Darmanitan at level 35."

Michelle commands, "Alright Darumaka, let's give them a show they won't forget! Use Roll Out!" Darumaka curls up into a ball and begins to roll in a circle around the stage. It picks up speed until it is rolling at incredibly high velocities. "Alright, now throw in your Flare Blitz!" Darumaka becomes cloaked in a brightly burning flame. It now burns brightly as it rolls. It leaves behind a trail of fire, creating a ring of fire. "Alright, you know what to do!"

"Daru maka!" Darumaka breaks out of its circular path, and begins to roll in various directions. It rolls back and forth, forwards and back, leaving a flaming trail wherever it travels. It begins to travel in such a way that the fiery path begins to form into an intricate tessellation on the stage.

Gillian announces, "Wonderful, Darumaka's super-heated Rollout is setting our stage ablaze, but with the most beautiful results!"

Michelle then declares, "Alright, stop in the center and use Belly Drum!"

Darumaka rolls to the center and uncurls itself. It begins to pound its chest with rhythmic beat. As it beats its chest, the flames burning around begin to rise and fall.

Gillian explains, "Wow, the concussive beats of Darumaka's Belly Drum are causing the flames to practically dance to the rhythm."

"Now, one last beat, and make it a big one!"

"Darumaka!" Darumaka pounds on its chest on last time, this time creating a loud beat. With that beat, the flames all jump high into the air, and then extinguish. Michelle and Darumaka bow.

Gillian cheers, "Well, I think that was a great performance, but my opinion doesn't really matter, does it? What do you say judges?"

Mr. Contesta says, "A mesmerizing performance! The intricate pattern of those flames, combined with making them dance made for a wonderful show!"

Mr. Sukizo says, "I found that display to be absolutely remarkable!"

Nurse Joy states, "Those flames almost looked like they were alive the way they danced. It was a very fun performance to say the least."

Michelle returns Darumaka and walks off stage.

* * *

Brenda and Michelle are backstage. Ash and Brock walk towards them with Pikachu and Kappaqua. Brock says, "You two both did a great job."

Brenda and Michelle turn to face them. Kappaqua runs over to Brenda and jumps into her arms. "Kappapapaqua!"

Brenda hugs it back and asks, "Did you like my performance Kappaqua?"

It nods. "Kappa."

"I'm sorry I'm not using you this Contest, but I really think Rabbolt will do great in the Battle Round." Kappaqua nods in understanding. Brenda turns back to Ash and Brock. She asks, "Do you really think I did well?"

Ash nods. "You sure did. It was a great show." He looks at Michelle. "You too."

Michelle smiles. "Thanks."

From the TV, Gillian can be heard announcing, "Alright folks, the judges have determined the rankings of all the coordinator's performances, and I'll say for them, it was not easy! If you would all turn your attention to the main screen, we'll reveal the lucky top eight coordinators moving on to the next round!"

Everyone in the room looks up to the screen in anticipation. The first image to appear is that of an unknown coordinator, but he is followed by Brenda's image. Brenda leaps up and cheers, "Yeah, I made it!" There are two other coordinators, and then Michelle.

Michelle cheers, "I'm in too!"

Several more images appear. Jessie, standing off to side looks up anxiously. There are now seven images on screen. Her image appears last. She shouts in outrage, "What, last place!? These judges obviously don't know genius when they see it." She shakes her head. "Whatever, I made it through, and now I'm going to win."

Gillian says, "Alright, match-ups will go as shown!" A tournament bracket is shown. In the first battle, Brenda is up against a random trainer, and in the last, Michelle is up against Jessie. "The Battle Round will begin soon, so get ready coordinators. Good luck!"

Brenda and Michelle both face each other, clasp hands, and jump up and down cheering, "We made it! We made it!"

Michelle says, "Alright Brenda, it's you and me in the finals, right?"

Brenda nods. "Count on it."

* * *

Brenda is in the middle of a battle with the coordinator she was matched up with. Rabbolt is in front of her, and the opposing trainer has an Azumarill. There are two minutes left on the clock, and both coordinators have about half of their points remaining. Brenda commands, "Alright Rabbolt, Shockwave!"

"Rabbbbboltttttt!" Rabbolt releases a burst of lightning at Azumarill.

The opposing coordinator counters, "Jump into the air and use Water Gun!" Azumarill jumps up and dodges the attack. It then attacks with a torrent of water.

"Rabbolt, redirect your attack to the Water Gun!" Rabbolt aims slightly upwards, causing the electric attack to make contact with the water attack. The Shockwave travels down the length of the Water Gun and shocks Azumarill. Azumarill faints, and the judges all declare a knockout.

Gillian declares, "And it's over just like that! A well placed attack by Rabbolt has secured a victory for Brenda!"

* * *

The Contest has moved further along. Now its Michelle and Jessie battling. Michelle is using her Poliwhirl, while Jessie has James' Haking. They're about halfway through the allotted time, while Michelle has slightly more points than Jessie. Jessie commands, "Haking, cover the field with Smokescreen!"

"Hak Haking hak!" Haking floods the field with a cloud of smoke, obscuring all sight.

Michelle advises, "Stay on guard Poliwhirl."

Poliwhirl can be heard affirming, "Poli!"

Gillian states, "Not being able to see is definitely going to be a problem for Michelle and Poliwhirl." As she says that, Michelle's score lowers.

The Smokescreen begins to thin out. Jessie says, "Alright Haking, as soon as you can see again, unleash a Sludge Bomb barrage!" Within moments, the smoke is completely gone, and Haking has reappeared behind Poliwhirl. It attacks with Sludge Bomb.

Michelle quickly shouts, "Look out behind you Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl quickly turns, and then leaps to the side just in time. Jessie loses some points.

This angers Jessie. "More Sludge Bombs, more Sludge Bombs!"

"Counter with Water Gun!" Poliwhirl blasts a torrent of water at the Sludge Bombs, which washes them away before they can cause any damage at all. With this, Jessie loses even more points.

Jessie continues to get angrier. "Tackle!" Haking rams itself towards Poliwhirl.

"Leap up and Water Gun straight down!" Poliwhirl leaps into the air, and lands on top of Haking. It releases a pointblank Water Gun and leaps back off. Jessie's points lower again.

Jessie is getting furious. James in the audience is getting worried. "Oh my poor Haking, what is Jessie doing?"

Jessie shouts, "Don't you have any moves that will do anything!?" Suddenly she realizes something and gets a mischievous look.

James goes wide-eyed with surprise. "No…she couldn't possibly be considering using that move…"

Jessie shouts, "Haking, Explosion!"

Haking turns towards Jessie with surprise and questioning. "Hak!?"

Jessie commands, "Do as I say, Explosion attack, now!"

James shouts, "Jessie, no, don't do it!"

It's too late. A massive explosion originating where Haking floats quickly covers the field. Jessie cheers, "Yeah, that will do it!"

James shouts in despair, "Haking, no!"

Michelle is unsure of what to do. After a moment, the smoke from the Explosion clears. When it does, it becomes obvious that both Pokémon have been knocked out. The judges hit their buzzers and two X's appear on each of their tables.

Gillian announces, "It looks like both Pokémon have been knocked out at the same time! In such a rare event, we turn to the screen to see who had more points!" On the scoreboard, it can be seen that Michelle has quite a bit more points than Jessie. "And Michelle wins!"

Michelle is unsure whether to cheer, or be sad for Poliwhirl. She returns it to its Pokéball.

Jessie is outraged. "What!? What do you mean I loose!? My attack knocked out the opponent! I should be the winner!"

Gillian is unsure of how to respond. "Um…I'm sorry but rules are rules."

Jessie begins to stomp towards Gillian with hand curled into fists, but just as she does, Meowth and James, dressed in their disguises as Jessileia's managers, leap in and restrain her. James grabs Haking's Pokéball and recalls it, and then they both guide her off stage. Once off stage, James looks angrily at Jessie. He demands, "How dare you use that move!? I told you that it was off-limits!"

Jessie, now suddenly calmer, shrugs. "Hey, it almost won it for me."

James shouts, "No it didn't, it lost you that battle and hurt Haking in the process!" He snatches back Mime Jr.'s Pokéball as well. "I'll never let you use my precious Pokémon again!"

Jessie crosses her arms and turns around. "Fine, I don't need them. My own Pokémon are more than competent enough."

Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie looks at it angrily as she returns it. "Did you have to prove me wrong?"

* * *

Clips from the next round are now shown. Brenda and Rabbolt battle with a Victreebel and wins with a Bounce to the face. Michelle and Poliwhirl battle a Lombre, and win as well.

Gillian announces, "Alright everybody, the wait is over! Our final round is here! Brenda will be facing off against Michelle in a battle of Launch Town coordinators!"

Brenda and Rabbolt are on one side of the stage, and Michelle faces her on the other with Poliwhirl. Michelle shouts, "Alright Brenda, promise me that you won't go easy on me just because we're friends!"

Brenda nods and responds, "Only if you promise the same!" Michelle nods back.

Gillian announces, "Alright, five minutes on the clock, battle begin!"

Brenda makes the first move. "Rabbolt, start off with Shockwave!" Rabbolt unlashes its electric attack.

Michelle counters, "Block it with Mud Shot!" Poliwhirl sends several projectiles of mud towards Rabbolt, which intercept and block the electricity. They then continue on to hit Rabbolt. Brenda takes the first loss of points.

Brenda declares, "Bounce out of it Rabbolt!" Rabbolt leaps into the air and comes down on top of Poliwhirl.

"Dodge it!" Poliwhirl manages to dodge by side-stepping.

Brenda quickly adds, "Shockwave, now!" This attack is at close enough range that it makes contact. Michelle now loses points.

Michelle attempts to counter. "Mud Shot, again!"

"Jump back, quickly!" Rabbolt manages to jump back before the attack is used. "And then use Hidden Power!" The two attacks collide and cancel each other out.

Michelle says, "Alright Poliwhirl it's time for our secret move, widespread Mud Shot, followed by Water Gun!" Poliwhirl flicks its head as it fires a barrage of Mud Shots, sending them in a wide arc. It then does the same with its Water Gun. The water hits the mud, and the two attacks mix together, forming a wave of mud. Rabbolt tries to dodge, but the attack is spread too far and it hits.

Gillian exclaims, "Wow, watering down your Ground-Type attack while fighting an Electric-Type Pokémon may not sound like the smartest idea, but it sure did seem to work!" Brenda loses a descent chunk of points.

Brenda says, "Alright Rabbolt, don't let that stop you! Let's do a combo of our own! Use Static Cloak followed by Bounce!" Rabbolt covers itself in sparks of electricity and then bounces into the air.

Michelle shouts, "Get out of the way Poliwhirl!" Poliwhirl manages to dodge.

"Try it again, keep it up!" Rabbolt leaps back into the air towards Poliwhirl. Poliwhirl manages to dodge again, but Rabbolt keeps at it. Another jump, and it manages to land on top of Poliwhirl. It immediately leaps back. Sparks surge through Poliwhirl.

Gillian explains, "Since Rabbolt used Static Cloak before making contact with Poliwhirl, it's now become Paralyzed! That's going to make things hard for Michelle to bounce back." Michelle's points now take a hit.

Michelle says, "Alright, no matter. Use another Mud Shot!" Poliwhirl attempts to attack again, but without the ability to move and aim, Rabbolt effortlessly dodges the attack.

Brenda commands, "Shockwave now!" Rabbolt fires its electrical attack. Poliwhirl is unable to dodge, and is sent flying upwards. "Now Bounce up and knock it to the ground!" Rabbolt jumps, putting it right above Poliwhirl.

Michelle smiles. "Thanks for that Brenda. Water Gun, now!" Poliwhirl uses Water Gun, causing it to fly backwards, which makes Rabbolt completely miss its target and crash on the ground. "Now, Body Slam and Water Gun!" Poliwhirl use Water Gun upwards, and propels itself down towards Rabbolt and slams into it.

Gillian says with excitement, "Amazing, Michelle has just had Poliwhirl use its Water Gun attack as a way to move through the air and power up its Body Slam!" Brenda loses a large amount of points. There's only a minute left, and Michelle is winning by a descent amount.

Brenda's eyes go wide as she realizes what Michelle just did. In the audience, Brock seems to have noticed too. He says, "Wow, that move Michelle just did was an adaptation of her and Brenda's childhood game. How creative!"

Ash just nods, as he seems distracted. He plays through what just happened in his head again. Rabbolt is coming downwards towards Poliwhirl, but Poliwhirl dodges in midair, despite being unable to move well, by using its Water Gun. Ash suddenly leaps up and declares, "I've got it!" Brock and Pikachu look up to Ash with some confusion. Ash, somewhat embarrassed, sits back down and says, "I'll explain later."

Back onstage, Brenda congratulates, "Wow Michelle, good move. I didn't see that one coming."

Michelle smiles. "I thought you'd appreciate that one." She looks to Poliwhirl and says, "Alright Poliwhirl, let's get back in this! Use Mud Shot!"

Brenda counters, "Hidden Power, followed by Shockwave!" The Mud Shot and Hidden Power collide and stop each other. However, Rabbolt's Shockwave hits its target. Michelle loses points for that. There's 30 seconds left. Brenda then says, "There's no time to lose, Hidden Power again!"

Michelle shouts, "Use Water Gun to get out of the way!" Poliwhirl blasts itself backwards using the recoil of Water Gun.

"We were expecting that! Turn now!" Rabbolt changes its angle of attack quickly, and manages to hit Poliwhirl at its new spot. "Now turn it into another Shockwave!" Rabbolt then pumps its electric attack at Poliwhirl, hitting its mark. Michelle loses some more points, but she is still winning. Only ten seconds left. "Come on Rabbolt, we have to hurry!" Five seconds left. "Use-"

Poliwhirl suddenly faints, right before the clock strikes zero. The judges all declare a knockout.

Gillian exclaims, "And after all that, it would seem that Poliwhirl just couldn't recover from its Paralysis! That means the winner is Brenda!"

Everyone cheers. Ash and Brock stand up to clap. Kappaqua is jumping for joy.

Brenda is smiling and looking over the applauding audience. She is extremely happy. But then she notices Michelle. She is returning Poliwhirl, and appears extremely disappointed. When she notices that Brenda is looking at her, she puts on a smile and waves. Brenda's smile turns to a fake smile and she waves back, apparently upset to see that her friend is upset. Michelle slowly walks offstage.

Gillian announces, "Our judges will now present Brenda with the coveted Orbitz Ribbon!"

The three judges walk over to Brenda, Mr. Contesta holding the ribbon. He asks, "This is you first ribbon, correct?" Brenda nods. "Very good! I have high hopes for you, and look forward to seeing you in another Contest."

Mr. Sukizo says, "That last battle was remarkable!"

Nurse Joy says, "It looks like you've been doing this for a long time now, despite only just starting. Good job."

Brenda accepts the ribbon. "Thank you."

Gillian declares, "And there you have it folks! That ends the Orbitz City Pokémon Contest, thank you all for coming!"

* * *

It's sunset. Brenda is running out onto the street, she's wearing her normal clothes again. Ash and Brock chase behind her. She shouts, "Michelle, wait up!" She catches up with Michelle, who was walking away.

Michelle turns around and says, "Oh, hi Brenda." She doesn't seem devastated, but is obviously trying to hide her disappointment.

Brenda says, "You just left before we could talk. Are you okay?"

She nods. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just…" she hesitates, takes a deep breath, and continues, "I just thought that after all the practice I put in, and you putting in almost none, that I would win for sure."

"Oh…I'm sorry."

Michelle shakes her head. "No, it's nothing to apologize about. You beat me fair and square."

Brenda puts a hand on Michelle's shoulder. "Michelle, why don't you come with Ash, Brock, and I? It could be fun, just like old times."

Michelle shakes her head. "Sorry, but no. I need to find my own way right now." She laughs. "I need to find a way to beat you."

Brenda laughs as well. "Alright, I understand. So we'll meet again?"

Michelle nods. "You can count on it. And next time, I'll beat you."

Brenda nods. "We'll see about that."

With that, Michelle turns around and walks away. Brenda waves, and she waves back.

Ash suddenly declares, "Alright, now we've got to get moving on towards Atmos City! Watching your battle inspired me on a new strategy I can use to beat Skyler."

Brenda asks, "Really, what is it?"

Ash smiles, "You'll have to wait and see."

_There's nothing that brings out the best in you quite like old friends, and now that Brenda and Michelle have parted ways, there's no doubt that they'll meet up again. Now with Ash's Atmos City gym challenge up ahead, and a new strategy to boot, you'll just have to stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	25. Episode 25: Dashilisk to the Finish

Episode 25: Dashilisk to the Finish

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have arrived at a meadow. There are several trees on its edge, and a lake in its center. Flowing into the lake is a river. Ash looks around and says, "This is it. This is the perfect place to train with my new strategy!"

_Having been hit by inspiration during Brenda's recent Contest victory, Ash has now found the perfect place to train for his upcoming gym match at Atmos City. Now for the question on everyone's mind: what could this strategy possibly be?_

Ash has walked over to the base of a tree, and is observing it. He pulls out his Pokéballs and lets Turcell and Apprentichick out. Turcell looks at Ash curiously and asks, "Tur?"

Apprentichick displays its readiness for whatever lies ahead by declaring, "Apprenttttttttichick!"

Pikachu hops off of Ash's shoulders and joins the other two. Brenda asks, "So Ash, what is this marvelous strategy you can't stop raving about?"

Ash responds with a question, "Do remember during your battle with Michelle, when her Poliwhirl was immobilized in the air, and you had Rabbolt use Bounce on it?"

The scene plays out. Brenda commands of Rabbolt, "Shockwave now!" Rabbolt fires its electrical attack. Michelle's Poliwhirl is unable to dodge, and is sent flying upwards. "Now Bounce up and knock it to the ground!" Rabbolt jumps, putting it right above Poliwhirl.

Michelle smiles. "Thanks for that Brenda. Water Gun, now!" Poliwhirl uses Water Gun, causing it to fly backwards, which makes Rabbolt completely miss its target and crash on the ground. "Now, Body Slam and Water Gun!" Poliwhirl use Water Gun upwards, and propels itself down towards Rabbolt and slams into it.

Back in the present, Brenda nods. "Yeah, she used that game we used to play as a way to get the upper hand."

Ash nods. "Now, do you remember how Skyler beat me?"

Now another scene plays out. Ash is in his skydiving battle with Skyler. Skyler commands, "Orbitross, climb into the sky and use Aerial Ace!" Orbitross flaps its wings, causing it to quickly ascend, and then moves into a diving position. The decreased drag of its position causes it to fall fast as it goes into its attack.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, hit it with Iron Tail as it comes at you!"

Pikachu attempts to swing its tail upwards, but lacks the maneuverability to do so, and Orbitross' attack is much too fast. It makes contact. Pikachu's body goes limp as it feints.

Back in the present, Brock answers, "Skyler used the diving to his advantage to gain momentum to add power to his Aerial Ace attack."

Ash nods again. "Right. So my problem was that my Pokémon couldn't maneuver properly in the air. If I adapt Michelle's strategy, not only could my Pokémon actually manage to dodge Skyler's attacks, but we could launch a counterattack as well."

Brenda exclaims, "That's a great idea Ash! I'm glad I could help inspire you."

Ash looks over his Pokémon and says, "Alright, Apprentichick, since you can already fly, you don't necessarily need to learn this strategy, but I'd like to at least try to implement it using your Gust. That might just give you the edge you need after what happened last time."

It cheers, "Aprenttttttttichick!"

Next Ash looks to Turcell. "Your Ember attack should work great with this. Combo it with a Rapid Spin, and I think we have a winner."

Turcell nods. "Tur cell."

Finally, Ash looks to Pikachu. "This will be hardest for you Pikachu. Your Electro Ball might work, but I know that that attack will be awkward for you to use. I have another plan for something you can do as well though."

Pikachu affirms, "Pika."

"Alright then, let's do this!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**The fin on this Pokémon's head acts as highly sensitive radar. Using this fin to sense movements of water and air, this Pokémon can determine what is taking place around it without using its eyes.**

* * *

Turcell is standing on the top of a limb protruding from a tree. Ash points to the nearby lake and says, "Alright, try jumping off the tree, and using Ember to propel yourself into the lake. If you don't think you're going to make it, use Withdraw to make sure you don't get hurt." Turcell nods in understanding. "Alright, let's try it out."

Turcell turns around, so that it is facing away from the lake. It leaps backwards. The moment it leaves the tree, it begins to use Ember. "Turrrr cell!" The recoil of the attack propels Turcell towards the lake. It manages to make some distance, but it's falling too quickly. Just in time, Turcell withdraws into its shell and avoids getting hurt. It has landed about halfway to the lake.

As Turcell comes out of its shell, Ash congratulates, "Good job Turcell! You almost made it on your first try!"

Turcell smiles. "Cell!"

Ash looks to Apprentichick. "Alright, let's try this again. Could you carry Turcell back up?"

Apprentichick nods. "Apprenti." It jumps off its perch and grabs Turcell. It then flies it up to the same limb as before.

Ash exclaims, "Alright, again!"

Turcell jumps again. This time it manages to begin its attack just a little bit sooner, and uses the attack just a little bit stronger. This combination allows it move just a little bit further. It protects itself again with another Withdraw.

Ash says, "Good, we've just got to keep on trying! Do it again!" They reset again.

As Ash and Turcell continue their training, a curious head pokes up through the surface of the lake. It's some sort of Pokémon. It tilts its head in curiosity. "Dash?" It watches as Turcell tries again. Upon seeing this, it leaps up out of the water and runs excitedly towards Ash. The Pokémon is a bipedal lizard that's about as tall as Ash's shoulders. It is primarily dark and light blue in color, with some patches of black as well. It has a crest on both its head and back. Its feet are large and flat. It has a long tail that trails behind it. When it runs, it has goofy gait, in which it swings its legs in outwards circles as it takes steps forward. Before Turcell and Apprentichick can reset, it makes it up to them.

Ash jumps back in surprise. "Whoa, who are you!?"

The Pokémon jumps up and down happily, cheering, "Dashilisk!" It then looks up to the tree and runs towards it. Once at its base, it quickly climbs up it, and makes it to the branch.

Brock observes, "It looks like it wants to give your strategy a try."

It cheers once more, "Dashilisk!" before it leaps of the tree. Once it does, it releases a stream of steaming hot water backwards, causing it to propel forward. On its first try it makes it all the way to the lake. It lands in the lake with a splash.

Brenda says with awe, "Wow, it did it on its first try!"

The Pokémon then peeks its head over the water again. Ash, Brock, and Brenda clap for it. The Pokémon excitedly leaps up out of the water. It lands on the shore, but then runs back to the water. Instead of sinking into it, the Pokémon actually begins to run across the lake's surface.

Ash exclaims, "Wow! That Pokémon is running across the water!" He pulls out his Pokédex.

"Dashilisk, the Water Walking Pokémon and a Water-Type. Dashilisk combine their agility and body adaptations with special body movements, which allows them to run across water, a trait unique to this Pokémon. They are normally shy Pokémon, making them rare to be seen by humans. Does not evolve."

Brock laughs. "Well this one doesn't seem to be shy at all."

Brenda comments, "It's an oddball, that's for sure."

Dashilisk runs from the water back up to the group. Brock pulls a can of Pokémon food out of his bag and takes out a handful. He offers it to Dashilisk. "Here, want some food?"

Dashilisk happily grabs it from Brock's hands and eat it. After finishing the food it begins to dance around happily again. "Dash! Dash! Dash! Dashilisk!"

Ash laughs. "It doesn't take much to get that Pokémon happy." Ash then looks to Dashilisk and asks, "So, what are you doing here?"

Dashilisk then points to the tree. "Dashilisk!" Without warning, it then climbs the tree again, and immediately leaps off again, propelling itself again with its water attack, back into the lake.

Brenda says, "Something tells me it's just looking for a good time."

Brock asks it, "Is that it Dashilisk, are just looking for some fun?"

Dashilisk nods. "Dashi." It seems to suddenly have an idea. It points in the direction of the river and seems to beckon them forward. It excitedly declares, "Dashi dash dash!"

Ash says, "I think it wants us to follow it." Brock and Brenda nod. Ash looks back to his Pokémon. "What do you guys think, want to take a break from training to see what Dashilisk wants to show us?" The Pokémon all nod. Pikachu hops back onto Ash's shoulders, Ash, Brock, and Brenda turn to follow Dashilisk, and Turcell and Apprentichick follow them.

* * *

**It's Mudkip!**

* * *

The group has followed Dashilisk down the river. Dashilisk is currently running back and forth across the river as it leads them forward. Dashilisk seems excited. "Dash dash!" It points forward excitedly.

Everyone looks forward to see another lake connected to the river up ahead. Brock observes, "It looks like that's where Dashilisk is leading us."

They walk up to the shores of the lake. Dashilisk calls out, "Dashi! Dashilisk!"

Throughout the lake, heads poke out of the water. They're other Dashilisk. Brenda says, "Wow, look at all those Dashilisk."

Upon hearing Brenda's voice, most of the heads are startled, and retreat back under the water. One head pokes further up. This Dashilisk appears much bigger than the first. It swims over towards the shore and gets out. The first Dashilisk excitedly exclaims, "Dashi dash dashilisk!" and then dances a couple of steps.

The big Dashilisk scolds, "Dash! Dashilisk dash!" It seems displeased. It points to Ash and friends and continues, "Dashilisk, dash dash!"

The first Dashilisk lowers its head. "Dashi…"

Brenda asks, "What's going on?"

Brock responds, "If I had to guess, this is the Dashilisk's home, and they don't like outsiders. That one must be the lead Dashilisk, and it's not happy that our Dashilisk brought us here."

The first Dashilisk suddenly props its head back up with renewed excitement. It points to Ash and friends excitedly, and then to a nearby tree. "Dashi dash!" It then runs over to the tree and climbs it. Once up, it then leaps off and propels itself towards the lake. This causes a few Dashilisk to peek back out of the water in curiosity. Dashilisk emerges from the water and takes a pose as if to say "Ta da!"

The big Dashilisk walks over to it and continues to scold, "Dashilisk dash!" The first Dashilisk then hangs its head in shame again. The big Dashilisk turns around to all the Dashilisk peeking over the surface and lectures, "Dashi dash, dashilisk!" They all lower their heads back under the water.

Ash seems upset by this. He runs out in between the two Dashilisk. He shouts, "Hey, what are you thinking!?" He beckons to the first Dashilisk. "Dashilisk here only wants to have some fun and share it with you! Why would you scold it like that!?" The first Dashilisk looks up with hope at Ash.

The second Dashilisk looks at Ash angrily. "Dashilisk!" It attacks Ash with a Water Gun.

Ash shakes it off and begins to shout, "Hey, that wasn't-"

Brock cuts him off saying, "Ash, this isn't your place to decide what's right and wrong. Don't make things any worse."

Ash stops what he was saying and turns around angrily. He keeps on walking past Brock and Brenda, who quickly turn to follow him as well. The first Dashilisk looks towards the lake, and then towards Ash. It runs after Ash. "Dashilisk!"

The big Dashilisk turns around steps back towards the water. Before it walks in, it says to itself, "Dashi," as if to say "Good riddance."

From up above, in their balloon, Team Rocket looks down. Meowth says, "Wow, will you look at all those Dashilisk."

James says excitedly, "There must be at least a hundred of them in that lake."

Jessie is leaning back against the opposite side of the basket. She shrugs. "I don't see what the big deal is."

Meowth explains, "Jessie, those are Dashilisk."

Once again, she shrugs. "Never heard of them."

James says, "Exactly, you've never heard of them because they're rare Pokémon. They normally hide away from just about anything, making them hard to find."

Jessie seems slightly more interested. "So when you say they're rare, you also mean that they're…"

Meowth finishes for her, "Yes, they're also valuable. We could a boatload of cash for them."

Jessie is standing up and looking down at the lake as well now. "Alright. Why didn't you just say that in the first place? What's the plan?"

Meowth smiles. "I'm glad you asked."

* * *

Ash kicks a rock in frustration. Turcell and Apprentichick have been returned to their Pokéballs. He complains, "It's just not fair the way they treated that Dashilisk. It just wanted to have a good time. Why'd they have to be so mean?"

Brenda tries to calm him, "Ash, that's the way their group works. We can't just go in there and say what they do is wrong. Remember what the Pokédex said? They're shy Pokémon normally."

Ash nods. "I know, it's just annoying to think about."

A noise is heard behind them. Everyone turns around to see the Dashilisk from before following them. Upon being spotted, it smiles and waves. "Dashilisk!"

Ash smiles. "Oh, did you decide that you didn't like it there?"

Dashilisk suddenly frowns and hangs its head. Brock nudges Ash and whispers, "Ash, that lake is still Dashilisk's home. It may not have fit in, but that doesn't mean it didn't want to be there."

Ash nods. "Sorry Dashilisk, I didn't mean it like that." Dashilisk instantly perks up and dances around a little bit.

Brenda comments, "Wow Ash, that Dashilisk really seems to like you."

Ash nods. "Yeah, it does. Hey Dashilisk, is it normally like that at the lake? Do you normally stick out like that?"

Dashilisk nods. "Dash…"

"So you just don't fit in. That's too bad." Ash suddenly has an idea. "Hey Dashilisk! I have an idea! Why don't you come with me? I bet with your skill that you demonstrated before, you could be a big help on my team, and I'm sure that there would always be fun stuff for you to do. You'd never have to worry about not fitting in again."

Dashilisk grins from ear to ear. It begins to dance, happier and more energetic than ever, chanting, "Dash, dash, dashilisk! Dash, dash, dashilisk! Dash, dash, dashilisk!" It grabs Ash by the hands and begins to swing him around, forcing him and Pikachu into the dance.

Ash laughs. "So I can take that as a yes, right?" Dashilisk nods excitedly. "Alright then." Ash pulls out an empty Pokéball.

Just as he's about to use it, a cry is heard from the distance, "Dashilisk!"

Brenda looks off towards the cry and asks, "What was that!?"

Brock shouts, "I think that those Dashilisk from before are calling for help!"

Dashilisk exclaims, "Dashi!"

Ash responds, "Don't worry Dashilisk, we'll help them." Everyone runs off towards the cry.

* * *

Ash and everyone else have made it back to the lake. On the right side of the lake, is a massive mechanical Krakannon. On its front is the Team Rocket R. Dashilisk exclaims with shock, "Dash!"

All around the lake, Dashilisk are running for cover. Many attempt to run away by running across the river, but the robotic Krakannon just whips out its tentacles towards them, grabs them, and pulls them back in. Once it has captured a Dashilisk, they are dropped into a holding tank attached to its back. Once all the runners have been gathered up, the mech then shoots a cannon ball from its mouth, making a giant splash in the water. This startles many more Dashilisk, all of which attempt to run across the lake for cover. They too are caught.

Brenda exclaims, "This is awful!"

Ash says with frustration, "This has Team Rocket written all over it."

To respond to the statement, the top of the head opens, revealing Team Rocket sitting in a control center. Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble, you actually have it right!"

James continues, "Make it double, you seem to have some sight!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

Meowth chimes in, "Meowth, that's right!"

Now Wobbuffet and Mime Jr. appear. "Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Brenda shouts, "You'd better let all of those Dashilisk go!"

Jessie demands, "Or what!? These Dashilisk are a gold mine, and we plan to fully exploit them! They're ours now!"

Pikachu leaps off of Ash's shoulders and lands in front of him. Ash says, "We have to stop them Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!"

James laughs. "Why don't you show them _our_ special adaptation Meowth?"

Meowth smiles and presses a button. "It would be my pleasure." Once the button is pressed, one tentacle stretches out towards Pikachu's attack, and another goes into the water. The Thunderbolt hits the first tentacle, is then conducted through it and into the body, and then out the other tentacle. The entire lake is now electrocuted by Pikachu's attack. Many Dashilisk leap out of the water, startled by the electricity, and make a run for it. Team Rocket gather them up.

Ash grunts. "Electric attacks won't work, let's try Iron Tail!"

"Chuuu pika!" Pikachu attempts to slice through a tentacle with Iron Tail, but another tentacle grabs it and throws it back.

Brock and Brenda throw a Pokéball each, Brock letting out Meteorfight, and Brenda Rabbolt. Brock says, "Meteorfight, use Comet Punch!

Brenda shouts, "Rabbolt, Bounce!"

Both Pokémon go in at the same time to attack, but both are deflected by tentacles as well.

Meowth says, "Keep all the attacks you want coming, we have more than enough tentacles to deflect them all!"

Brenda cries, "Oh no, how are we going to stop them!?"

Dashilisk looks to Ash, Brock, and Brenda, then to the lake, where more Dashilisk are being captured, and then finally to Team Rocket's mech. It suddenly realizes what it has to do and gives a determined, "Dashi!" It leaps in to action and uses its speed to run.

Ash asks in surprise, "Dashilisk, where are you going!?"

Brock says, "Seeing all of its friends get captured must have scared it, it's running away."

But instead of running out of sight, Dashilisk climbs a nearby tree. Once at the top, it leaps off and propels itself forward with its water attack.

Brenda exclaims, "That's the trick you aught it earlier Ash!"

Once it has propelled itself away from the tree, it manages to turn itself around, and then brandishes its claws, which begin to glow green. With the burst of speed from its leap, combined with the surprise attack, it manages to avoid all of the tentacles. Once it makes it to the body of the machine, it claws at it a few times before pushing off it with its legs, and using its water attack to propel itself away again. Once it lands out of range of the mech, it declares, "Dashi dash, dashilisk dash dash!"

A head pokes out from the water. It's the big Dashilisk from before. A few other heads poke out as well. The big one suddenly declares, "Dashi dash!"

The original Dashilisk then climbs the tree again, and propels itself forward one more. While Team Rocket is distracted by it, many Dashilisk leap out of the water. They each climb up a tree and perform a variant of what Dashilisk just did. They all propel themselves towards Team Rocket, for a powered up attack.

Jessie demands, "What's going on here!? Why aren't we deflecting them!?"

Meowth says with panic, "The first one was a surprise attack, and now there's too many of them! I'm doing everything I can, but it's not enough!"

Many Dashilisk use various attack with their claws, teeth, and tails to sever each of the tentacles. The other ones focus on attacking the containment pod. After this barrage, the pod begins to crack. All of the tentacles have now been removed.

James exclaims, "Oh no, without those tentacles we're a sitting Ducklett!"

Then the pod shatters, and all of the Dashilisk scatter. Jessie cries, "And there goes all of our profit!"

The original Dashilisk lands next to Ash after delivering the final blow. Ash asks, "Would you like to help Pikachu and I finish this off?" Dashilisk nods excitedly. It then turns to face Team Rocket and attacks with a torrent of steaming water. Ash then adds, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu's Thunderbolt is conducted by Dashilisk's attack. The two combined attack hit Team Rocket's control center, causing it to explode.

Team Rocket flies into the air, shouting, "It looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Ash cheers, "Yeah, we did it!"

Dashilisk begins to dance around happily in circles. "Dashi dashi dashilisk!"

Brenda points forward. "Hey, look at it!" All around the lake clearing, Dashilisk are celebrating. Some are imitating the original Dashilisk in its dance, while others are actually climbing trees and propelling themselves happily into the lake.

Brock smiles and says, "It looks like they've all learned how to have a little fun."

The big Dashilisk walks over to Dashilisk. It says in an apologetic tone, "Dash dashi."

Dashilisk just smiles, proclaims, "Dashi dashilisk!" and then pulls the big Dashilisk into a dance. After a moment of reluctance, the big Dashilisk gives in and begins to dance as well. After the dance is over, the big Dashilisk turns around to return to the water.

Ash bends down to look at Dashilisk and says, "Well Dashilisk, it seems like you're today's hero." He looks around. "I'll bet now that you've shown these guys how to have fun, you'll want to stay here. I understand if you don't want to join me." Ash stands back up and turns around. Brock and Brenda follow.

Dashilisk at first didn't seem to listen, as it continued to dance as Ash spoke, but now it realizes that Ash is leaving, it stops in confusion. It runs after Ash calling, "Dashi dash dash!"

Ash stops and turns around. "What is it Dashilisk?"

Dashilisk points at Ash. "Dash dash!"

Brenda laughs. "I think you've made a friend Ash."

"Brock adds, "Yeah, I think it wants to come with you anyways."

Ash looks to Dashilisk. "Is that true Dashilisk? Do you still want to travel with us?"

Dashilisk nods. "Dashilisk!"

Ash smiles. "Alright then!" He pulls out a Pokéball and taps it against Dashilisk's head. The Pokéball pulls it in and begins to wiggle in Ash's hand. After a few wiggles, the ball clicks. Ash and Pikachu leap up as Ash exclaims, "Yeah, I just caught a Dashilisk!"

Pikachu adds, "Pik pikachu!"

Brock then laughs, "I can already tell, that Pokémon is going to be a tough one handle." Everyone laughs.

_With a new and fun-loving addition to his team, Ash's adventure ahead of him is looking bright. One thing's certain, this is bound to add a whole lot of excitement to our heroes' travels, as the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	26. Episode 26: Overjoyed

Episode 26: Overjoyed

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking through some woods. _Today we join our heroes as they continue their journey toward Atmos City, and Ash's rematch against Skyler, the Atmos City gym leader. With a new strategy in mind, it will certainly be exciting to see the battle's outcome. But what's this? It looks like our heroes might have to take another detour first._

The group's walk is interrupted when a man walks by. He's wearing a blue and white uniform, and has bag slung over his shoulder. The man stops and asks, "Excuse me, but would you happen to know where I can find the Pokémon doctor known as Brock? I was told that he was around these parts."

Brock smiles. "That would be me. I'm Brock."

The man smiles back. "Ah, a pleasure to meet you sir." He pulls a piece of paper out of his bag. "This message is for you, straight from the Pokémon Medical Corps." He hands it to Brock, it's an envelope.

Brock takes the envelope and opens it up. He instantly appears pleased by the letter. He looks up to the man and says, "Thanks for delivering this. This is great news!"

The man smiles and nods. "It's my pleasure, and congratulations." The man turns around and leaves the way he came.

Brenda asks, "What's the letter about Brock?"

Ash adds, "Yeah, and what's the Pokémon Medical Corps?"

Brock answers, "The Pokémon Medical Corps, or PMC for short, is an international organization dedicated to the medical care of Pokémon. As a Pokémon Doctor, I'm a member. As for the letter, it's an invitation to the Annual Pokémon Medical Convention."

Brenda asks, "What's that?"

"It's a special conference held once a year, where the world's greatest Pokémon medical workers meet. There are special sessions where you can learn from the masters, you can swap techniques, it's a great opportunity to learn how to be a better Pokémon doctor. And this year, they've invited me!"

Ash congratulates, "That's great Brock! Wow!"

Brock looks extremely happy. "The best part is, not only is the convention being held in the Tenno Region this year, but it's in a nearby city." Brock pulls out his Pokéssistant. "If you don't mind, it won't even be that much out of the way of our trip to Atmos City."

Ash responds, "Of course I don't mind. This is a great opportunity for you Brock, not to mention it gives me a good chance to train more."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go."

* * *

The group has arrived in a city. Brock looks around excitedly. "Alright, this is it, the location of this year's Pokémon Medical Convention." He looks down to his Pokéssistant. "The convention should be being held in the convention center down this street. Come on, this way." He leads them away.

After walking for a little while, they make it to a large building. It appears decorated for an event. Over the entrance is a large banner with writing on it. Brock takes a few moments to take in the sight. He is interrupted when he sees a Nurse Joy walking up the steps to the building.

Brock suddenly gets a whole lot more excited. He exclaims, "Oh my gosh, no one told me that there would be a Nurse Joy here!" He dashes up to her in the blink of an eye. He grabs her hand and proclaims, "Oh sweet, beautiful Nurse Joy, I am but a humble Pokémon doctor invited to this convention just as you were. Certainly it is more than just pure coincidence that both you and I are here! Yes, it must be more, it must be destiny! We were destined to attend this conference together!"

Nurse Joy is unsure of how to respond, but Meteorfight isn't. It appears out of its Pokéball and delivers an uppercut to Brock. Brock flies up, and then lands on his back and tumbles down the stairs. Nurse Joy hurries up through the doors.

Brock gets back up and shakes it off. "Alright, sorry, I'll be serious now." He steps back up the steps and opens the doors. As soon as he sees inside, he freezes up.

Ash and Brock hurry up after him. Ash asks, "Brock, what's wrong?"

Brock, sounding somewhat dazed, replies, "Nothing's wrong at all…I think I might have just found paradise…" With that, he runs inside.

Ash and Brenda, along with Meteorfight climb the remains of the stairs. Ash opens the door, and there, filling up the convention floor, are nearly a hundred Nurse Joys. Brock is dashing from one to the next. Just as he professes his undying love to one, he double takes and runs to the next, only to repeat his proclamation. There are also Nurse Joy from the Unova and Kalos Regions, but Brock seems to ignore them. Meteorfight sighs, "Meteor…" Ash and Brenda laugh.

Ash says, "Alright, it looks like Brock is making himself comfortable, I think I'll go and get some training done."

Brenda nods. "Alright, I think I'll stay here with Brock." She giggles. "I think Meteorfight could use some help."

Meteorfight is still watching Brock with disbelief, shaking its head with uncertainty of what to do. "Meteor…"

* * *

Ash is walking down a city street. He looks up to Pikachu and asks, "Alright buddy, how are we going to do our special training this time? Last time we had trees to jump off, and a lake to jump into. We don't have anything like that here."

Pikachu shrugs. "Pika."

Ash looks around for inspiration. Then it hits him. On the opposite side of the street, he sees a man selling balloons. Ash smiles. "I got it!" He runs across the street to the man. "Hello sir, I'd like to buy all of your balloons."

* * *

Ash and Pikachu are now on the outskirts of the town. Ash is holding the big bundle of balloons. He says, "Alright, this spot should be perfect!" Pikachu jumps off his shoulders onto the ground. Ash explains, "Alright, we're going to tie all of these balloons onto your back, which should lift you up into the air, so we can practice your aerial maneuvering."

Pikachu nods. "Pika."

"Alright, let's do this." Ash takes the balloon bundle and ties it around Pikachu's midsection. He cautiously lets go, and Pikachu lifts a couple of feet into the air, before stopping to float there. Ash smiles. "There, now you're a flying Pikachu."

Pikachu seems to be having fun. It happily says, "Chu!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**If a traveler is going through a desert in the thick of night, this Pokémon will follow in a ragtag group. The Pokémon are biding their time, waiting for the traveler to tire and become incapable of moving.**

* * *

Back at the medical convention, Brock is still making his rounds with the Nurse Joys, running from one to the next. Brenda is standing to the side, silently watching. Meanwhile, Meteorfight is attempting to keep up with Brock, but is failing. Each time Brock runs to a new Nurse Joy, Meteorfight attempts to keep up, but as soon as it catches up, Brock dashes to the next, causing Meteorfight to fall behind. Meteorfight is now panting and tired. "Me…te…or…" Brock, on the other hand, isn't even showing the slightest signs of tiring.

Brenda giggles and says to herself, "I think Meteorfight has finally met a challenge it can't handle."

Brock's antics are interrupted when a voice over an intercom announces, "Attention honored Pokémon medical personnel: our first event will begin in five minutes. It's a lecture by the famous Pokémon doctor and founder of the PMC, Dr. Curium. Don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and get to the lecture room now."

This announcement slows Brock down just long enough for Meteorfight to catch up, and deliver another uppercut. Brock gets knocked to the ground. Brenda walks over to him and asks, "So…who's this Dr. Curium?"

Brock, without getting up, as if nothing had just happened, answers, "He's one of the world's leading Pokémon doctors. His techniques are outstanding and groundbreaking. They say he alone advanced Pokémon medicine at least twenty years into the future in the span of five years." Brock gets up. Meteorfight eyes him from afar, making sure he doesn't get any ideas. "Well, I guess we'd better get going to the lecture rooms. I'll introduce myself to everyone else later."

Brenda chuckles. "Is that what you call it?"

Without acknowledging the joke, Brock leads Brenda and Meteorfight forward. After walking for a little bit, he stops and says, "You know what? Blissey would want to see this." He takes out a Pokéball, and lets out Blissey.

"Blissey!"

"Hey Blissey, we're at the Annual Pokémon Medical Convention. Keep your eyes open, maybe we'll learn something."

Blissey nods. "Bliss."

They continue walking on, until Brock leads them to a large auditorium. It has already been mostly filled. Notably, most of the occupants are Nurse Joy. A look of excitement crosses Brock's face. He's about to make a dash for it, when Meteorfight appears, readying its fist. "Meteorfight…"

Brock sighs. "Alright, point taken."

Brock, Brenda, and the two Pokémon take a seat. Within a few moments, the lights dim, and an older man in a doctor's coat walks out onto the stage. He says, "Hello one and all, and welcome to the PMC's Annual Pokémon Medical Convention, and allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your invitation. Here today we have not only Pokémon doctors from across the land, but also representatives of the Nurse Joy family from all around the world." The audience claps. Brock seems to be focusing more on the surrounding audience than the speaker. "Now the subject of the next hour will be what some are calling Pokémon miracle cures. Sometimes, there are injuries or diseases that not even a Full Heal can cure. In such situations, we as Pokémon medical personal must look into alternative solutions. Many of these solutions are completely unexpected, and hence are known as miracle cures. In order to find these cures, we must keep an open mind and look to unorthodox and unknown, for that is where we find the miracle."

* * *

**It's Cacturne!**

* * *

Ash declares, "Alright Pikachu, aerial Iron Tail now!"

Pikachu, still dangling from its balloons, does a mid-air flip, while attacking with Iron Tail. "Chu, pika!"

Ash cheers, "Yeah, great job Pikachu, you're really getting the hang of this!"

Someone asks, "What are you doing?" Ash turns around to see a boy of about his age. He's wearing a blue and green t-shirt and shorts, as well as a baseball cap. The boy comes closer and exclaims excitedly, "Wow, you have your Pikachu flying on balloons, that's such cool idea!"

Ash grins. "Thanks. We're doing some special training for our coming battle at the Atmos Gym."

The boy nods. "That's awesome." He turns to Ash. "My name's Timmy, I'm a Pokémon trainer too."

"I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this is my buddy Pikachu."

Pikachu waves awkwardly from its balloons. "Pika."

Timmy says, "I'm actually on my way to the Atmos City Gym as well." He looks at Pikachu. "I guess what they say is true, the Gym Leader there really does do battles in the sky."

Ash nods. "I've already battled him once, but I lost. So now we're working on a special strategy to beat him in our rematch."

Timmy seems to have an idea. "Hey, why don't I train with you? It'd be better training if you had a partner."

Ash nods. "Sure, let's do it."

Timmy takes a few steps back and throws a Pokéball. "Go, Magneton!"

A Magneton emerges from the Pokéball. "Magneton!"

Ash compliments, "Cool Pokémon, and since it can already float, I'll bet it will do great in the sky."

Timmy grins. "That's what we're hoping for."

"Alright, let's start this battle. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

* * *

Brock and Brenda are back out on the main conference floor. Brock seems to have slowed down a little bit, as he seems to be staying with one Nurse Joy. He says to her, "We stand here today in a room filled with beauty, but you…you are the most beautiful of them all. I knew it from the moment I first laid eyes-"

He is suddenly interrupted as Meteorfight comes out of nowhere with yet another uppercut. "Meteorfight!" Brock lands several feet away on his back.

The voice of a Nurse Joy call out, "Hey, I heard there's a doctor here named Brock, where is he?"

Brock suddenly jerks his head up. Brenda walks over to him and laughs. "Is she going to regret looking for you?"

Brock doesn't seems to be paying any attention. He says mysteriously, "That voice…"

Brenda looks confused. "Yeah, it's another Nurse Joy, so what?"

Brock shakes his head. "No, I'd recognize that voice anywhere…"

Then a Nurse Joy comes marching into sight. She says, "There you are, I've been looking everywhere for you."

Brock instantly stands up. Meteorfight prepares itself for another go at Brock. Brock tries to say something, but he ends up mumbling a couple of sounds.

The Nurse Joy walks right up to him and says assertively, "You have no idea what I've had to go through to track you down." She slaps him. "That's for abandoning me!"

Brenda, Meteorfight, and Blissey stare at the scene dumbfoundedly. Meteorfight slowly lowers its fist.

Brock stammers, "Wait, no, I can explain everything"

Nurse Joy says angrily, "Then you better start explaining right now."

Brock sighs. "I'll be completely honest with you, I always have been. I…I just couldn't go through with it…I was too young…too scared…"

"Well maybe you could have told me then! I was devastated when you didn't show up! Devastated!"

Brock lowers his head in shame. "I know…and I owed you so much more than what I gave you. I promise, it was my biggest regret in life. There's not a single day in my life where I don't think I about you. I'm so, so sorry."

She slaps him again. "You think sorry cuts it after what you did!?"

Brock shakes his head. "No, it doesn't."

Brenda takes this opportunity to walk over to them. She asks, "So Brock, are you going to introduce me to your…friend?"

Brock looks at Brenda and says, "Yes, this is Joy from Pewter City…she was my girlfriend."

Brenda is shocked. Even more shocked is Meteorfight. "Meteor!?"

Brenda asks, "Wait, you're telling me you actually had a girlfriend?"

Brock nods. "Yes, she was the first Nurse Joy I ever met. We were young back then. This was before I was the leader of the Pewter Gym, and before she went to medical school."

Nurse Joy nods and adds, "Yes, we met when he took a trip to the Pokémon Center to heal his Pokémon. I was helping my mom that day."

Brock continues, "I fell in love at first sight. I asked her out a couple of days later. We quickly fell in love."

Nurse Joy looks back to Brock and says angrily, "And then you had to go and ruin it all!"

Brenda asks, "What happened?"

Nurse Joy looks to Brock, and then to Brenda. A flashback begins. A younger Brock is sitting at a table with a younger Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy explains, "It started one night when we were on a date."

The younger Brock says, "Just think about it Joy, in another few years, I'll be old enough to be a Gym Leader. I can take my dad's place at the gym. It will be amazing."

The younger Nurse Joy shakes her head. "I don't know. Are you sure a Gym Leader is what you want to be?"

Young Brock nods. "What else would I do?"

"I don't know. You seem like you're so great at caring for Pokémon. The way you raise that Onix of yours, it's great. You should really think about becoming a Pokémon breeder…or maybe even a Pokémon doctor."

Young Brock nods slowly, considering what she's saying. "I have considered becoming a breeder. That would be really great. But don't you think I should try to work to be a Gym Leader instead?"

Young Joy shrugs. "I don't know." She sighs. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to tell you…"

Young Brock asks, "What is it?"

"I'm…I'm…I'm leaving for Pokémon medical school next week."

Young Brock is shocked. "What!? Why didn't you tell me before!?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't like it. But it's something I need to do. In a few years, my mom will pass the Pewter Pokémon Center on to me, and I need to be ready for it."

Young Brock nods. "Yes, I understand."

"There…there was something else I wanted to ask you. Would you come with me?"

"Come with you?"

She nods. "Yes. Like I just said, I think you would make a wonderful Pokémon doctor. Maybe if you just came with me, you could sit in on a couple classes, and maybe you might like what you learn. If you don't, you can just come back here and take over your father's gym."

Young Brock considers it. He nods. "Alright. I'll go."

She smiles. "That makes me so happy. Alright then, I'm scheduled to take the train to Saffron City next Tuesday. Meet me at the train station at 9:00 sharp."

Brock nods. "I'll be there."

The flashback ends. Nurse Joy finishes the story, "And yet he never showed up. I went to Saffron City alone and crying." She looks to Brock. "You broke my heart. You didn't even try to give me an explanation, or even try to say goodbye."

Brock nods solemnly. "I didn't deserve someone like you. I realized that the night before we were supposed to leave. I was afraid. I was afraid of committing to you, and I didn't realize it at the time, but I was afraid of disappointing my father by telling him I might not want to be a Gym Leader."

"And yet look at you now. You're a Pokémon doctor."

"Yes, I know. After being gym leader for a while, I went out on a journey with some friends to become a Pokémon breeder. It was during that journey that I realized that being a Pokémon doctor really was the right path for me. It was only because of you that I even considered it though. So here I am now."

She slaps him again. A tear falls from her eye. "I can't believe you!" She turns around and runs away.

Brock lowers his head in shame. Now he is crying. Brenda, Meteorfight, and Blissey step closer to him and all three hug him.

* * *

Brock, Brenda, and the Pokémon have returned to the auditorium. This time, Brock is acting much different. Instead of looking around at the surrounding Nurse Joy, he seems to have receded into himself. A voice announces, "Alright everyone, now it's time for some fun. Let's see who here has the most medical know-how. Everyone's been asked to download a special app to their Pokéssistants. Using that app, you'll be able to buzz in to answer a series of medical trivia questions. We'll tally points. We'll slowly eliminate those with the lowest points until we're down to the final two, who will battle it out on-stage. Good luck!"

Brenda nudges Brock. "Come on, snap out of it."

Brock shakes his head. "No, I screwed things up."

"Snap out of it and have some fun, it will be good for you."

"No, people like me don't deserve to have fun."

"Come on Brock, you came here to enjoy yourself, to show how good of a Pokémon doctor you are. Now's your chance, prove yourself."

Brock doesn't seems to care, but then Blissey nudges him. Brock looks to Blissey, who says comfortingly, "Blissey bliss." Next to Blissey is Meteorfight, who gives Brock a thumbs up.

Brock takes a deep breath and pulls out his Pokéssistant. "Alright, let's do this."

The voice says, "Alright, time for the first question. How much HP does a Hyper Potion restore?"

Brock attempts to ring in, but someone else gets it and stands up. It's a Nurse Joy. She exclaims, "200 hit points!" Judging by the way Brock looks at her, it is the Nurse Joy.

* * *

Ash and Timmy are battling. Timmy commands, "Alright Magneton, Magnet Bomb!" Magneton sends several orbs of shiny metallic energy at Pikachu.

Ash shouts, "Dodge it Pikachu!" Pikachu manages to perform an aerial roll, which carries it to side slightly, allowing it to dodge the attack. Just as it does, a beam of energy, which seems to have been aimed at Pikachu, also misses. The missed attack then goes on to hit Magneton, knocking it to the ground.

Timmy exclaims, "What was that!?"

Both trainers look towards the source of the attack to see Team Rocket's balloon. Jessie declares, "Prepare for surprising trouble!"

James declares, "Make it a shocking double!"

"To surprise those who are unaware!"

"To make sure you twerps beware!"

"To pop out of nowhere when not expected!"

"To show that we'll come, even when not elected!"

"From the blue, Jessie!"

"From leftfield, James!"

"Team Rocket appears out of nowhere!"

"Surrender now because we appeared from thin air!"

"Meowth, we don't play fair!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash shouts, "Team Rocket, what are you doing here!?"

James responds, "We thought that today we'd try some sneaky tactics."

Meowth points to a contraption attached to the bottom of the balloon. "And now with Anti-Electro Pika Sealer, your Pikachu won't be able to use its Electric-Type attacks to stop us from stealing it."

Ash chuckles. "Too bad you missed. Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikkkkkka chuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes its attack, hitting Team Rocket's balloon, causing it to explode.

As they're flying into the air, Jessie shouts, "No fair, we barely got any screen time!"

They all shout, "We're blasting off again!"

Timmy suddenly shouts, "Magneton, what's wrong!?"

Ash looks behind him to see Timmy bending down over Magneton. Zaps of electricity surround Magneton. It has separated into its three component parts. It weakly says, "Mag…ne…ton…"

Timmy says with worry, "This has never happened to it. I don't know what's wrong."

Ash says quickly, "We need to get it to a Pokémon Center." He hesitates. "No, better yet, there's a medical convention in town. Someone there can help us out for sure."

Timmy nods. He picks up two of the Magneton sections, and Ash picks up the third. They run towards the city.

* * *

Brock and a Nurse Joy, the Nurse Joy, are now up on the stage, apparently the final two of the trivia challenge. The voice asks, "When a burn acts up, what fraction of health will a burned Pokémon lose?"

Brock rings in. "One-eighth!"

"That's correct. Next question. Where is the only place in the world that manufactures the Secret Potion?"

Nurse Joy rings in. "Cianwood City!"

"Correct!" Brock and Nurse Joy look at each other. Both seem to be having fun and enjoying themselves, and have channeled their negative energy into the competition.

The next question is about to be asked, when Ash and Timmy burst in through the door. Ash shouts, "We need help, this Pokémon is hurt!"

Everyone in the room automatically looks up to Brock and Nurse Joy. Nurse Joy says, "Quickly, bring it up here!" They run up onto the stage and place Magneton down on a table. Brock and Nurse Joy run over.

Brenda also runs up to the stage. She pulls out her Pokédex. "Magneton, the Magnet Pokémon, and an Electric and Steel combo-type. Magneton are formed by three Magnemite connecting via electromagnetic forces. Using the same force they hover just above the ground. Evolves from Magnemite at level 30, and into Magnezone by leveling up in a magnetic field."

Nurse Joy and Brock look over the Pokémon. Nurse Joy says with worry, "This isn't good, this isn't good at all."

Timmy asks, "Why, what's wrong?"

Brock answers, "Magneton may be formed by connecting three Magnemite, but after adapting to this new form, they can't revert back. Severing the three could be fatal."

Nurse Joy asks, "How did this happen?"

Ash explains, "It was hit by some sort of beam that was supposed to stop Pikachu from using Electric attacks."

Brock and Nurse Joy look at each other and nod. They both say at once, "It was demagnetized."

Nurse Joy says, "We need to get its electrical systems running again. Maybe if we gave it an energy boost with a Revival Herb."

Brock shakes his head. "No, it has no way to consume an herb. Since it's an electric-based problem, maybe a Paralyze Heal would clear things up."

Now Nurse Joy shakes her head. "No, Paralyze Heal is meant to slow electrical flow through a body, it would have the opposite effect of what we want. We need to come up with something different, and fast."

Brock thinks, _Something different…_

He thinks back to Dr. Curium's lecture. His words echo in Brock's head, _In such situations, we as Pokémon medical personal must look into alternative solutions. Many of these solutions are completely unexpected, and hence are known as miracle cures. In order to find these cures, we must keep an open mind and look to unorthodox and unknown, for that is where we find the miracle._

Brock suddenly realizes something. He exclaims, "I've got it!" He looks to Ash. "Ash, we're going to need the help of Pikachu."

Ash nods and steps closer to Brock. "Whatever you need."

Nurse Joy asks, "What are you doing Brock?"

Brock responds, "We need to jumpstart Magneton's magnetic field. We were trying to think of ways of getting its own systems working. Instead, let's introduce something from the outside. If we use Pikachu's Thunder Shock, we can give Magneton a jolt that might just reactivate its magnetic field."

Nurse Joy nods. "It might just work."

Brock looks to Pikachu and says, "Pikachu, I need you to use a Thunder Shock on Magneton, start it off weak, put slowly increase the voltage."

Pikachu nods in understanding. "Pika."

"Do it now!" Pikachu begins with a small shock that travels from it to Magneton. Magneton's segments twitch. Pikachu slowly ramps up the power, and the shock gets stronger.

Magneton cries out, "Magneton!" Pikachu now is at a full-powered attack.

Brock then suddenly says, "Alright, stop now!" Pikachu stops. The three segments of Magneton float into the air, and then are pulled towards each other. It is whole again.

Magneton happily declares, "Magneton!"

Everyone in the audience stands up and claps. Timmy happily runs towards Magneton and shouts, "Magneton, you're alright!"

Nurse Joy turns to Brock and hugs him. She exclaims, "Brock, you're a genius!" She kisses him on the cheek. Brock blushes.

Timmy says, "Thank you so much for saving my Magneton, doctor."

Brock smiles. "It's my job."

* * *

Everyone is back out on the conference floor. A voice announces over the intercom, "And thank you everyone for attending this year's Annual Pokémon Medical Convention, presented by the PMC. We hope you found the experience enriching and fulfilling, and we hope to see you next year."

Brenda says to Brock, "That really was amazing Brock, what you did back there for that kid's Magnemite."

Brock shakes his head. "I said it before, I was just doing my job."

Ash says, "But that doesn't mean that you'd do as good of a job as you did. You saved that Pokémon's life Brock."

The Nurse Joy walks over. She stops in front of Brock. The two spend a few moments looking at each other. After the awkward silence, Nurse Joy says, "What you did earlier, I don't know if I could have done that."

Brock shakes his head. "No, I'm sure you could."

"But I didn't. Look at us, I'm the Nurse Joy, raised to be a Pokémon medical worker, and you, you only just became a Pokémon doctor, and yet it was you who saved the day." Both look at each other for a few more moments. After a little more awkward silence, Nurse Joy steps forward and kisses Brock again. After that she sighs. "I guess the truth is, I never stopped loving you."

Brock nods. "Neither did I."

She sighs again. "I'm sorry, but I think we'd be fooling ourselves if we thought we could just forget that the last few years happened. They did, and things can never be the same between us."

Brock nods. "I know."

"I'm going back to Pewter City. I run the Pokémon Center there now. If you ever come back, stop by, catch up a little. Maybe you can teach me a thing or two."

"Alright, I will. And you ever come back to Tenno, make sure to give me a call."

She nods. "I will." She sighs. "Alright, I guess this is goodbye then."

He nods. "Yes, goodbye." Nurse Joy turns around and walks out. Brock stands there, silently.

_Brock has loved, and he has lost. Today though, he definitely did not lose. Sometimes it's those old flames that we never forget, those ones who are always in the back of our minds, which mean the most. Brock certainly will never forget that, as his journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	27. Episode 27: Diving Into It

Episode 27: Diving Into It

Ash is running forwards at full speed, Pikachu right behind him. Brock and Brenda are trying to keep up. Ash exclaims, "We're almost there! Atmos City is just over this hill!"

_The time has finally arrived! After preparing day and night after his defeat at the hands of Atmos City Gym Leader Skyler, Ash has finally made it to Atmos City for his rematch. Certainly he feels ready, but was his training really enough?_

Ash continues to run up a hill. Once he makes it to the top, he suddenly skids to a stop. He shouts, "Whoa!"

Brock and Brenda catch up. Brenda asks, "What is it?" Her question is suddenly answered when they make it to the top of the hill. In front of them is a massive canyon, which Ash nearly ran right into. In the center of the canyon is an island of raised land. On top of that island is a large metropolis. Airplanes can be seen flying in and out of the city, and around the canyon people can be seen enjoying various air sports such as skydiving, hang gliding, and hot air ballooning.

Ash asks, "How are we supposed to get to the city?"

Brock shakes his head. "I don't know."

The voice of a girl calls, "Hey, you over there, are any of you Ash Ketchum?"

Everyone turns. Perched on a nearby cliff edge is a girl in a deflated hot air balloon. She has long red hair and is wearing a wingsuit. She waves at them. Ash steps towards her and says, "Yeah, I'm Ash."

Before she can respond back, Brock is suddenly in her balloon basket, on his knees, clasping her hands. He proclaims, "Oh great vision of beauty, you must be a pilot, because you have sent my heart soaring. You and I should take this balloon and fly off into the sunset-"

He is cut off by an uppercut from Meteorfight sending him up into the air. "Meteorfight!"

Brock shouts in despair, "Now I really am flying!" He lands with a thud a couple of yards away.

Ash and Brenda approach the girl now. Ash asks, "Were you looking for me?"

The girl nods. "Yes, my name is Ariel, I work for Skyler. He sent me to give you a lift into town."

Ash exclaims, "We could use that! Thanks."

* * *

The balloon, which looks like a Pokéball, is now inflated and flying over the gorge. Ash, Brock, and Brenda stand in it with Ariel, who is driving. Ariel is explaining, "Atmos City is called the City in the Sky because the only way in or out is by air. That's why it's become a major hub for both air traffic and air sports. Most cities in Tenno would be using hover craft to cross this gorge, but the tradition of using hot air balloons to cross stretches back to the earliest days of Tenno, back when this city was just a small outpost. So we honor that tradition to day and stick to using balloons to ferry people in and out."

Brenda is taking in the sight. She says in awe, "Wow, I never would have imagined that a city this beautiful could exist."

Ariel nods in agreement. "Yes, it is quite the beautiful sight." She looks out towards the nearing city. "Alright, we're making our final approach. Prepare to land."

Not far behind them, Team Rocket follows in their own balloon. Jessie complains, "Those no good copycat twerps! How dare they even consider using a hot air balloon!? That's our thing!"

James crosses his arms and shakes his head in disapproval. "I always knew the twerps had no honor, and this proves it."

Meowth states, "Settle down you two. You see, here in the air, we have the advantage. We're the ones who have been training in this here balloon since Season One, we're the ones who're better at it. This is the perfect opportunity to capture Pikachu."

Jessie declares, "We'll show them who the master of the hot air balloon is!"

James adds, "And for once it will be the twerps who blast off!"

Meowth chuckles and says under his breath, "With those two aboard, this balloon will never run out of hot air."

Jessie and James return their attention back to the surrounding air, but quickly realize something has changed. They are now surrounded by many other balloons. There are several Pokéball shaped ones, but mostly ones inspired by Pokémon heads. James asks, "Wait, where'd the twerps go!?"

Jessie demands, "You lost them!?"

Just before they break out into a full argument, another balloon flies close to them. This balloon is shaped like a Drifblim. A man in the balloon calls over to them, "Hello fellow balloon enthusiast, I've never seen your balloon around here. Are you here for the festival?"

James asks, "What festival?"

The man answers, "The Annual Festival of Balloons of course! You know, the one where all us ballooners get together and compete to see who the best is. The winner gets a big prize."

Jessie, James, and Meowth all look to each other and nod in mutual understanding. James then says, "Of course, _that_ festival. I thought you meant another festival. We're here to compete and win that prize."

The man smiles. "Great to hear. I'll see you later then."

* * *

Arial leads Ash, Brock, and Brenda up to a building in the middle of the city. It appears to be a large aircraft hangar. Emblazoned on its roof the Pokéball emblem of the Pokémon League. Behind the building is a runway. Arial says, "Here we are, the Atmos City Gym."

Ash steps forward and holds up a fist in determination. He looks to Pikachu and says, "Alright, here we are. It's the moment we've been practicing for. Are you ready buddy?"

Pikachu nods. "Pik."

The sliding doors to the gym open up. Out of them walks Skyler. He says, "Ash, great to see you. Professor Pine called to tell me you were almost here. I'm glad that you decided to go through with this match. Not many attempt to challenge me to a rematch."

Ash responds, "There's no way I wouldn't."

"Glad to hear it. Are you ready to get to our rematch?"

Ash nods. "You bet. I've been waiting for this."

"Great, let's go get you and your Pokémon into suits."

* * *

Skyler's airplane is now flying in the sky. Ash and Pikachu, back in the same wingsuits as before, Skyler, and Arial sit in the passenger compartment of the plane. Arial explains, "Alright, I'll be the referee for this match. It will be a three-on-three skydiving match. The trainer who renders all of his opponent's Pokémon unable to battle will be the winner. In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Any questions?" Ash and Skyler both shake their heads. She then continues, "Also, if the battle ends up taking too long, and we get too close to the ground, I will order an immediate recall of Pokémon and suspension of the battle. If such an event occurs, we will take the next plane up, and immediately restart the battle where it left off." She looks to Ash. "And I will be recording this battle so that your friends may watch it from the ground."

Ash nods. "Thanks."

"Alright, if everyone is ready, we will be jumping momentarily. Please stand next to the jump door, it will open, and then that light on the roof will turn green a few moments later. When it does, jump. Good luck."

As she's saying this, the hatch on the side of the plane opens up. Ash, Skyler, and Arial prepare to jump. The light turns green, and they leap. Skyler pulls a Pokéball of his belt. He declares, "Falcoknight, take flight!" Without throwing his Pokéball, Skyler lets out his first Pokémon. It's a bird Pokémon about half the size of a person. It has long, strong looking legs, with sharp talons. Its front is a dark gray, while its back and head is light gray, almost making it look as if it is wearing armor on its back and a helmet.

"Fallllllllcoknight!"

Ash looks to his wrist, to which his Pokédex is attached. It activates and states, "Falcoknight, the Knighted Bird Pokémon, and Flying and Fighting Combo Type. After spending their youth doing nothing but training, Falcoknight are very proficient fighters. They can attack with jabs from their sharpened talons, or even punch like attacks from their wings. Evolves from Apprentichick at level 17 and into Eagladiator at level 36."

Ash says to himself, "So it's the Evolution of Apprentichick. I bet that means it's a pretty tough Pokémon." He looks to Pikachu, who is strapped to his back, and says, "So let's start off with a show of strength ourselves."

Pikachu nods. "Pika."

Ash unlatches Pikachu and declares, "Pikachu, I choose you!"

Pikachu leaps off of Ash's back and catches the air in its very own wingsuit. "Chu pika chu!"

Arial declares, "Battle begin!"

Ash takes the first move. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikkkkkkka chuuuuuuuuuu!" Unlike the last battle, this Thunderbolt hits its intended target.

Skyler commands, "Don't let it get to you, move in with Quick Attack!" Falcoknight seems surprisingly unaffected by the attack. With a burst of speed, it moves out of Pikachu's attack range.

Ash shouts, "Quickly Pikachu, do a barrel roll!" Just as it practiced on the balloons, Pikachu manages to roll to the side, getting it out of the way of the attack. Falcoknight flies right by.

Skyler, sounding impressed, says, "Wow Ash, you really have been training. When we battled before you were hopeless, unable to land an attack, unable to dodge. I can tell you've put a lot of work into this."

Ash grins. "I sure have. Let's show him some more Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

"Chu pikaaaa chu!" Pikachu does an aerial front flip as it sends forth the attack. The attack is executed fast enough that Falcoknight is unable to dodge, and is hit by the attack.

Skyler then says, "Let's take this fight up close and personal! Use Talon Grapple!" The Pokémon climbs into the air, and then dives down towards Pikachu. Once it gets in close, it begins to jab its talons at Pikachu in rapid succession.

Ash says, "Just keep on dodging it!" Pikachu makes several attempts to dodge, and is successful at first, but can't manage dodge the constant barrage. Several jabs make contact. "Pull back Pikachu!" Pikachu manages a backflip that takes it just out of range. "Now slam it with Iron Tail!"

"Chuuu pika!" Pikachu then spins and hits Falcoknight with its Iron Tail attack, knocking it backwards.

Skyler suggests, "Let's wrap this up Falcoknight, Cross Chop!"

The tips of Falcoknight's wings glow white. "Falllllllconknight!" It dives at Pikachu and swipes its wings in an X pattern. The attack makes direct contact. Pikachu is knocked out.

Ash cries, "Pikachu!"

* * *

Team Rocket's balloon is lined up with many other Pokémon-themed balloons. James steps forward. He's dressed in some sort of old-fashioned aviator's clothes. Mime Jr. sits on his shoulder. He says in a stern voice, "Alright troops, listen up. We are going to win this festival, and we are going to win it the right way. That means no cheating." He points sternly as he says the last line.

Mime Jr. copies his movements, "Mime mime."

On the opposite side of the balloon, Jessie and Meowth are listening, but barely. Jessie gives a mock salute and says sarcastically, "Aye aye captain."

James snaps, "Cut the attitude soldier, the honor of Team Rocket is on the line."

Wobbuffet appears and does a salute of its own. "Wobbuffet!"

James points and says excitedly, "That's the enthusiasm I'm looking for!"

Then a voice announces over a loud speaker, "Attention balloon enthusiasts, our first event is about to begin! Prepare yourselves for the balloon race! The race will be a lap around the city. First balloon to make it back here wins! On your mark, get set, go!"

James quickly begins to shout orders, "Drop the ballast! Increase the heat! Full steam ahead!" Jessie, Meowth, and Wobbuffet begin to frantically run around to comply. The balloon begins to move forward, along with the others in the line.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon chews its way through boulders with its sturdy jaws. Its eyes can see in the darkness underground.**

* * *

Brock and Brenda are sitting in the gym, watching Ash's battle on a large screen. Arial can be heard saying, "Pikachu is unable to battle."

Brenda says in disbelief, "Wow, even after all that training, Pikachu still lost after almost no time."

Brock shakes his head. "No, there was a major difference this time. Pikachu managed to lay quite a few solid hits before being knocked out. Ash may not be winning right now, but Pikachu's attacks may allow Ash to get some momentum with his next Pokémon."

Back in the sky, Ash grabs Pikachu and re-clips him to his back. "You did great buddy. Don't worry, we'll still win this." He pulls a Pokéball of his belt. Without throwing it, he declares, "Dashilisk, I choose you!"

Dashilisk appears from its Pokéball. It too is wearing a wingsuit. For a moment it appears confused, but then it suddenly begins to enjoy the skydive. It says happily, "Dashilisk!" It does some sort of in-air version of its happy dance.

Skyler observes, "So it looks like you got a new Pokémon. Will it make a difference?"

Ash nods. "It sure will."

Skyler then says, "Alright, let's find out. Falcoknight, use Cross Chop!" Falcoknight moves in for its attack.

Ash commands, "Dashilisk, just like we practiced! Use Scald to dodge!"

"Dashilisk!" The Pokémon unleashes a torrent of steaming water from its mouth, which propels it away from Falcoknight. This causes Falcoknight to stumble.

Ash takes advantage of the situation. "Now, quickly use Scald again, but this time to power up your Dragon Claw!" Dashilisk propels itself back towards Falcoknight now. As it does, it does a spin, allowing it to reorient itself. It brandishes glowing green claws and swipes at Falcoknight.

Back on the ground, Brenda exclaims, "That's the move Ash borrowed from Michelle! He and Dashilisk did it perfectly!"

Brock nods in agreement. "That training really did pay off, not mention Dashilisk seemed to have some natural talent for it."

Back in the air, Ash says, "Great, now that you're close in, use Scald!" Dashilisk uses its Scald attack again, this time aimed at Falcoknight. The attack both hits its target and propels Dashilisk backwards. Falcoknight is knocked out.

Arial declares, "Falcoknight is unable to battle!"

Ash cheers, "Yeah, great job Dashilisk!"

Dashilisk dances around happily again. "Dashi dashi dashilisk!"

Skyler nods. "A very impressive strategy. I'm not sure I've ever seen one like it. Falcoknight, return. Let's see how you do against this one. Take flight Ravenoir!"

A Ravenoir appears. "Rave!"

Ash asks, "You still good to keep on going Dashilisk?"

Dashilisk nods excitedly. "Dashi!"

* * *

**It's Steelix!**

* * *

Team Rocket is racing along. They seem to be in first place, but right behind them are two other balloons. James, who is confidently perched with one foot on the edge of the basket, looking forward, declares, "Victory is within reach, but we cannot slack! We must press forward!" Mime Jr. mimics his pose on his shoulder.

Jessie, Meowth, and Wobbuffet are still running around frantically, attempting keep the balloon moving. They are all panting for breath. Suddenly, Jessie stops. She grabs Meowth by an ear and pulls him to the side, where they both crouch in a corner.

Meowth rubs his ear and complains, "Hey, I only have two of those. What gives?"

Jessie says, "Tell me this, why is James just standing up there, doing nothing, while we're doing all the work?"

Meowth shrugs. "Beats me."

"I say it's time we speed things up a bit, if you know what I mean."

Meowth grins mischievously and pulls out a remote. "Oh, I know what you mean." He presses a button. "Activating turbo-overdrive."

As soon as Meowth presses the button, a jet engine comes out of a compartment on the bottom of the basket. It activates, and sends the balloon flying further with extreme speed. James, Jessie, Meowth, and Wobbuffet are slammed against the back of the basket. They all cry out with shock and terror. The speeding balloon easily makes it to the finish line. Meowth struggles to press another button on the remote, but manages. As soon as he does, the balloon comes to a complete stop.

The voice over the loudspeaker announces, "And we have our winner! The Meowth balloon belonging to the team of Jessie, James, and Meowth has taken first place!"

James and Mime Jr. get up and jump for joy, apparently oblivious to how they just won. "Yes, we won, I knew we could do it!" He looks back to Meowth and Jessie, who are still on the floor, and asks, "How did you ever get the balloon moving so fast without mechanical assistance?

Meowth, still sounding dazed, responds, "I guess I'm just a miracle worker."

* * *

Back in the air, Skyler commands, "Alright Ravenoir, Night Slash!" Ravenoir flies in close, with its wing tips glowing dark purple. It then slashes its wings, and sends a wave of shadows at Dashilisk. Dashilisk attempts to dodge, but is unable to.

Ash says to himself, "Wow, that was fast. No matter. Dashilisk, counterattack with a Scald powered Extreme Speed attack!" By directing itself with Scald, and building up some momentum, Dashilisk then rams into Ravenoir.

Skyler commands, "Night Slash, again!"

Ash shouts, "Get out of there with Scald!" Dashilisk is just about to use its attack, but it's not fast enough, Ravenoir slashes at it with its wing tips.

It cries out in pain, "Lisk!"

"Alright then, time for some close quarters combat! Use Dragon claw!"

"Night Slash again!" The attacks of the two Pokémon collide. Claws and wing tips continue to go at each other, slashing and attacking, attempting to get the upper hand. After this goes on for a few moments, Skyler then says, "Get it away from you with a direct Aerial Ace!" Ravenoir suddenly changes its tactics and rams into Dashilisk's chest, knocking it back.

Ash says, "Alright, let's go for another Scald!" As it's flying back, Dashilisk looks towards Ravenoir and attacks with Scald.

"Dodge it and use Dark Pulse!" Ravenoir rolls to the side, dodging the Scald, and then sends an orb of dark rings at Dashilisk.

Dashilisk is knocked out. "Dash…"

Arial shouts, "Dashilisk is unable to battle!"

Ash grimaces. "Dashilisk, return." He pulls out another Pokéball and says to himself, "Alright, this is my last chance." He then declares, "Let's finish this Apprentichick!"

"Apprenttttttichick!"

Skyler smiles. "It's time for another aerial battle. I remember this Pokémon from last time. If it has improved as much as your other Pokémon have, this should be a battle to remember."

"That's what I'm hoping for. Apprentichick, Talon Grapple!" Apprentichick dives at Ravenoir, and jabs its talons at it, making contact several times.

"We won't take that one sitting down! Ravenoir, Aerial Ace, followed by Night Slash!" Ravenoir flies up into the air, and then dives downwards. At the same time, it also covers its wings in shadows again.

"Quickly, dodge it with Aerial Maneuvers!" In a flash of speed, Apprentichick disappears, and then reappears behind Ravenoir. "And now, Talon Grapple again!" Apprentichick then flies in and delivers another barrage of talons from behind. This knocks out Ravenoir.

Arial declares, "Ravenoir is unable to battle!"

Ash cheers, "Alright!"

Apprentichick joins, "Apprenttttti!"

* * *

A voice declares over a loudspeaker, "Alright ballooners, we only have one event left, and we've narrowed down the competition to Team Meowth and Team Pikachu!" Team Rocket's balloon floats on one side, and across from them is a Pikachu balloon.

Jessie grumbles, "Of course the opponent had to have a Pikachu balloon. They're mocking us."

James says confidently, "Ah, but you forget, here we are in our own element. We shall win this!"

The voice then says, "The final match is called Balloon Fight! Each balloon will select three Pokémon, and they will battle it out in the air. Each Pokémon may only use one move though, so choose wisely."

Team Rocket huddles up. James says, "Alright, first things first, we need a ranged attacker." He points to Jessie. "That will be your Repiv with its Poison Sting. I'll use my Haking as a supporter, its Smokescreen should work wonders. Now our third Pokémon will be a wild card selection…hmm…"

Suddenly Wobbuffet appears again, "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie starts to recall it, saying, "Nobody wants you."

Suddenly James declares, "No, it's perfect! Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat can protect us from any attack they may send our way! This is perfect! We have this in the bag!"

The voice announces, "Alright, prepare your Pokémon and let's get this battle underway!"

Jessie and James send out their Pokémon. Repiv wraps itself around a rope, Wobbuffet stands in the front of the balloon, and Haking floats just above it. The other balloon has selected a Pikachu, which is perched on the front of the basket's edge, and a Plusle and Minum, each of which stands on the sides of the basket.

James declares, "It's time to finally prove ourselves!"

* * *

Ash thinks, _Alright, he only has one Pokémon left, and I'd be willing to bet that I know which Pokémon that is._

Skyler pulls out his last Pokéball. "It's time to soar Orbitross!" and with that, he calls upon his strongest Pokémon. Ash nods. "Why waste time? Aerial Ace!" Orbitross climbs into the air, just as it did in Ash's last battle with Skyler.

Ash shouts, "Alright Apprentichick, this is what we've been training for! Aerial Maneuvers!" Orbitross dives at high speeds, but Apprentichick effortlessly dodges. "Now Talon Grapple!"

Skyler declares, "We won't fall for that twice, turn around and use Drill Peck!" Before Apprentichick gets the chance to attack, Orbitross Drill Pecks into it. "Now, Sky Drop!" Orbitross then grabs Apprentichick and flies straight up, dragging it behind."

Back on the ground, Brock grunts. Brenda asks, "What is it?"

Brock responds, "Skyler is fighting in a completely different way now. He knew that Ash would be expecting the quick finisher that was his Aerial Ace, so he seems to have adapted a completely different, more brutal method. I hope that Ash can adapt."

Ash seems to agree with Brock. He shouts, "Come on Apprentichick, get out of there!"

"Apre…prenti!" Apprentichick struggles to break free, but it does no good.

Skyler shouts, "Throw it now!" Orbitross hurls Apprentichick downwards. "Now Aerial Ace!" Orbitross then dives down. Apprentichick is too busy regaining flight control to dodge, and is hit by the attack.

Ash grunts. "Use, Talon Grapple!" Apprentichick attempts to attack with its talons again.

Skyler just shakes his head and says, "Sky Drop, once more." Before Apprentichick can attack it, Orbitross grabs onto it one more time, and begins to climb again. Apprentichick struggles, but once again, it can't break free.

Ash shouts, "Come on Apprentichick! You have to do this! You have to break free! The rest of the battle all hinges on this moment!"

Apprentichick suddenly shouts with renewed determination, "Apprenttttttti!" It begins to glow white.

Ash goes wide-eyed with surprise. "What!?"

Brenda also looks surprised. Brock looks intrigued. Brenda shouts, "Look! Look! Is that what I think it is!?"

Brock nods. "Apprentichick is Evolving."

Apprentichick's form begins to change. It grows much large in size, and its legs and talons grow noticeably larger. The white light suddenly breaks in an explosion of sparkles. What was once Apprentichick declares, "Falllllcoknight!" It curls up one of its wing tips like a fist, it begins to glow white, and it then delivers in uppercut to Orbitross, allowing it to break free.

Ash cheers, "Yeah, you Evolved into a Falcoknight! And you learned Sky Uppercut!"

Skyler smiles. "My, my. This battle just got more interesting. But don't think we'll ease up on you now. Orbitross, Drill Peck!"

Ash grins. "Let's do this Falcoknight, Aerial Maneuvers, followed by another Talon Grapple!" Falcoknight, even faster than before, disappears and reappears behind Orbitross. It attacks with a furious barrage of talons, faster and more powerful than ever before. The attacks all hit.

Skyler commands, "Climb into the air!"

"You climb too!" both bird Pokémon fly straight upwards, at nearly equal speeds.

Both trainers commands at once, "Wing Attack!" The two Pokémon suddenly stop climbing, and then fly towards each other. They pass by each other, striking each other with their wings. Both trainers then shout, "Again!" Both Pokémon turn 180 degrees and cross wings again.

Skyler commands, "Aerial Ace, now!" Orbitross climbs even higher. It then dives, preparing for its attack.

Ash grins. "We've got this Falcoknight! Fly straight up and use Sky Uppercut!" The Pokémon are now flying straight at each other, just as they are about to make contact, Falcoknight raises its wing like a fist, and slams it into the diving Orbitross. The combined velocities of the two Pokémon slamming into each other causes massive damage. Orbitross' body goes limp.

Arial declares, "Orbitross is unable to battle, that means Ash the challenger is the winner!" Skyler returns Orbitross.

Ash cheers, "Yeah, we did it!"

Falcoknight cheers, "Falllllllcoknight!"

Brock and Brenda cheer, "He did it!"

Skyler says to himself, "He really did it."

* * *

The Meowth balloon is locked in combat with the Pikachu balloon. The Pikachu from the Pikachu balloon sends a Thunderbolt at the other balloon, but Wobbuffet deflects it. James declares, "Great job, now Repiv, you use Poison Sting, but aim at the balloon!" Repiv attacks as it's told. The opposing balloon attempts to dodge out of the way, but not in time. It pops.

The loudspeaker voice announces, "And that's it! This match is over! Team Meowth wins the Festival of Balloons!"

James cheers, "I knew we could do it!"

Jessie and Meowth say in disbelief, "We actually won something!?"

James looks to them and says, "Yes, today we are winners. This glorious day will go down in Team Rocket history. Before long, all Team Rocket operatives will be flying in their very own balloons, using them to steal Pokémon and take over the world!"

Jessie sighs. "Don't get too carried away."

They land the balloon near a crowd on the cliff edge. They get out and a person guides them to a stage. A man, the same man from the Drifblim balloon, and the same voice from the loudspeaker, says, "Thank you one and all for attending this year's Festival of Balloons. I must admit, in 30 years, I don't think I've seen anyone as proficient with a hot air balloon as these three."

James seems very giddy and excited. Jessie, on the other hand, seems bored. She says, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. Just tell us what we've won."

The man smiles. "I'm glad you asked. Your reward is honorary citizenship in Atmos City!"

Jessie and Meowth both say in outrage, "What!?"

James on the other hand is very excited. He runs up to the man and eagerly shakes his hand, saying, "Oh thank, you, this is such an honor. I'm so glad I was able to meet fellow balloon enthusiasts such as yourself today. Thank you, thank you!" Mime Jr. is pretending to shake a hand in the same manner.

Jessie and Meowth sigh, "Team Rocket's winning nothing again…"

* * *

Brock and Brenda are waiting just outside the gym. Brenda suddenly points up into the sky. "Look, there they are!" Ash, Skyler, and Arial come into view. Using their wingsuits, the three slow their descents and land right in front of Brock and Brenda.

Brock says, "That was a great battle Ash."

Ash smiles. "Thank you, but you should tell that to Falcoknight." He points up to Falcoknight, who's circling up above.

Skyler pulls something out of his pocket and walks over to Ash. "Here you go Ash, you deserve this." Ash takes it, it's a gym badge. It appears to show an image of the Earth, but also puts a stress on the atmosphere around it. "This is the Stratosphere Badge, it's proof that you beat me in battle."

Ash excitedly holds the badge up into the air and declares, "Alright, I just got the Stratosphere Badge!"

Pikachu adds, "Pik pikachu!"

Dashilisk appears and says, "Dashilisk!"

And Falcoknight dives in. "Fallllllcoknight!"

Skyler then says, "You really did earn that badge Ash. I could tell that you trained with each of your Pokémon, catering a special technique to each and every one of them. It really was a battle to remember."

Ash smiles. "I'm glad to hear it."

_And with that, Ash has not only won his second Tenno gym badge, but mastered a new style of battling, now part of his growing repertoire, as the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**If you're interested in seeing pictures of the cover artwork of what could be Luna and Terra Versions, make sure to check out the Cosmic Quest Official Website, a link is provided on my profile page.**


	28. Episode 28: Paranormal Inactivity

Episode 28: Paranormal Inactivity

An airplane flies through the sky. On the outside, it appears peaceful, and nothing special, but it's different on the inside. In the cockpit, the pilot seems to be extremely nervous and on-edge. He shouts into his communicator, "Status report! What's going on now!?"

A voice responds frantically, "We still don't know sir. We've just lost contact with three more crewmen, and most of the passengers are gone."

The pilot shakes his head in disbelief. "No one has seen what this thing is yet? I need to know what we're up against!"

"No sir, anyone who makes contact with it is gone before they can report in. We must have picked it up when we stopped in Hoenn."

The pilot slams his fist angrily on the console in front of him. Suddenly, an odd, almost musical, noise can be heard. The pilot says, "Wait…I hear something."

"Sir, before we would lose crewmen, they always reported hearing a strange noise first! It's heading towards you!"

"No! If it gets to me, the plane will crash!"

"Judging by that path its taking, it must be getting to you via the cargo hold! Sir, you have to eject the cargo!"

The pilot nods. "Agreed." He frantically looks over the console in front of him. He then slams a fist down on a big red button.

On the bottom side of the plane, a hatch opens up and several crates hurdle towards the ground.

* * *

Ash is on the videophone at a Pokémon Center. _Victory at last! Ash is now riding on his recent victory from his rematch against Atmos City Gym Leader Skyler. What comes next for our heroes? Let's find out._

On the other end of the phone is Professor Oak. He is saying, "Congratulations Ash! Winning in a completely new style of battle is a great challenge."

Ash informs, "Not to mention my Apprentichick evolved into a Falcoknight!"

Falcoknight flies into view. "Fallllllllcoknight!"

Professor Oak nods happily. "And I'm sure that was a wonderful experience for both of you. By the way, do you happen to know where you're going next?"

Ash shakes his head. "No, not yet."

"Good, because I have a suggestion. Northeast of Atmos City there's a mountain range known as the Starstreak Mountains. I'm actually going to be heading there for some joint research with Professor Pine soon. Why don't you come on up? The closest gym to you would be in Starcore City, and the Starstreaks are a little out of the way, but I've heard rumors that a Legendary Pokémon lives in them."

Ash's eyes widen. "A Legendary Pokémon?" He nods excitedly. "You can count me in. We'll be there."

The professor smiles. "I'm glad to hear it. Alright, I'll meet you there."

"See you then Professor."

"Bye Ash." Oak hangs up.

Ash looks up to Pikachu and asks, "Sounds fun, doesn't it? We get to see the Professor again, and maybe even a Legendary Pokémon."

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pika."

"Alright, let's go catch up with Brock and Brenda." He runs out of the Pokémon Center. After running through the city, he makes it to Ariel's balloon. Brenda is standing a few feet away watching Brock and Arial. Ash starts to ask, "What's going-"

* * *

But is cut off by Brenda holding her hand up. She then raises five fingers and prepares a countdown. Brock is on his knees, sobbing, in front of Arial. He's sobbing, "Oh sweet Arial, it may almost be time for us to part for good, but know this, I'll never forget you!" Suddenly, just as Brenda's countdown hits zero, Meteorfight appears and uppercuts Brock. He now shouts as flies through the air, "I'll never forget that either!" Brenda and Ash laugh.

Arial walks over to them and asks, "Alright, you ready to leave yet?"

Ash nods. "You bet. Our next stop is the Starstreak Mountains."

Brock suddenly appears next to him and asks, "The Starstreak Mountains, really? How come?"

"Because Professor Oak is going to be there, and he says we might be able to see a Legendary Pokémon."

Arial says, "Ah, you're talking about the Cosmic Guardian."

Ash asks, "What's that?"

"Oh it's nothing, just an old myth of Tenno. Supposedly across the region there live three Cosmic Guardian Pokémon. They are servants of the Cosmic Architect's, and said to be made out of the same material that Meteoric Shards are made of." She shrugs. "That's just a myth though. I wouldn't put too much faith into it."

Ash responds, "Well we have to go and see for ourselves."

Arial nods. "Of course. Now come on, let's get you out of here." Everyone climbs into her balloon.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have set off on the road again. It is getting late and the sun is setting. Brenda says, "I suppose we should begin looking for a place to camp for the night."

Brock shakes his head. "No, that shouldn't be necessary. According to the Pokéssistant, there's a small village not too far from here. We should be able to get a room there."

Ash adds, "And maybe some food, I'm starving."

Brock states, "It should be just up ahead." They walk through some trees, and sure enough they enter a village. However, something seems wrong. It may be a small town, but even for that it seems strangely empty.

They walk through the village's abandoned streets. Brenda looks around and says, "This is wrong. This village has been abandoned."

Ash calls out, "Hello! Is anybody there!?" Other than an echo, there is no reply.

Brock asks, "What could have happened here?"

Brenda looks a little spooked. "It's a little scary actually." She shivers. "What if something bad happened here…? What if this is a ghost town and it's haunted…?"

Ash seems to almost believe her, as he appears slightly frightened now. Despite that, he says, "D…don't b…be ridiculous, gh…ghosts don't exist."

Suddenly a shrieking noise can be heard. Ash and Brenda both shout, "Ghost!"

However, it is not a ghost. A boy runs in shouting, "Get out of my town you monster!" He suddenly skids to a stop and says, "Wait, you aren't a monster."

Brenda says, "And you aren't a ghost."

The boy, who is about Ash's age, and wearing a blue t-shirt and tan shorts, says mockingly, "Ghosts? You actually think there are ghosts here?"

Brock points out, "You're the one who thought we were monsters."

The boy suddenly remembers his panic. "That's because there is a monster in this town! It all started earlier today. Several people from the village went missing. A search party was sent out, but they went missing too. Slowly, little by little, more of the villagers began to disappear. I was one of the last people left. I barely escaped it. Now I am the last."

Brock says, "Settle down, I'm sure there's a logical explanation to this. Have you actually seen this monster?" The boy nods. "And what does it look like?"

"It may not be that big, but it's horrifying. It has no definite shape, it constantly changes, it's pitch black, as if it's made from the shadows themselves. It hides in the shadows and then attacks. Once it does, there's no fighting it. Your one warning is a musical tone that can be heard, after that, there's no hope." He starts to cry. "Oh please, you have to help me. This monster has all my friends and family. It needs to be stopped."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda look to each other and nod. Ash says, "Don't worry, we'll help you out. What's your name?"

The boy sniffles and answers, "I'm Todd…"

Ash then comforts, "Don't worry Todd, we'll find this so called monster and find your friends."

Brock says, "Come on, let's go search the outskirts of the town."

Hiding behind a nearby building is Team Rocket. James says, "So…the twerps are on a monster hunt. Sounds interesting."

Meowth shakes his head. "Nah, it sounds silly. There's no such thing as monsters."

Jessie states, "Unless you count The Boss when he's angry."

Meowth continues, "It's probably just some giant Pokémon or something."

Jessie and James ask, "Giant Pokémon?" They imagine a crowd of powerful Pokémon such as Salamence, Tyranitar, and Charizard, but giant versions. They both exclaim, "The Boss would love those!"

Meowth nods. "Then I guess it's time for a monster hunt of our own." They all smile deviously.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**A Pokémon that is said to live in a world on the reverse side of ours. It appears in an ancient cemetery.**

* * *

It's now nighttime. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Todd walk cautiously through the forest. Todd beckons them forward and says, "It's not far from here that the first group went missing from."

Brock asks, "Did anything of note happen before the first attack?"

Todd nods. "Yeah, the group that disappeared was investigating something that fell out of the sky."

Brenda says, "I'll bet that's where the monster came from."

Brock points out, "Assuming it is a monster."

Todd says, "The crash site of whatever it was that fell should be somewhere around here." He suddenly points forward. "Over there, that's it!"

They all run forward. Ahead of them is the wreckage of several wooden crates, apparently the same ones that were seen falling from the plane. Brock observes the wreckage. He bends over one of the wrecked boxes. It seems to be covered in some sort of black sludge. He asks, "What's this?"

Todd says, "That's residue left from the monster! It's what it's made from."

Brock looks at the sludge skeptically. He says, "I think it might be best if we fan out to look for anything else that could give us a hint about this monster." Everyone does so.

Off in the distance, Team Rocket is snooping. Meowth says, "If that's monster slime, we must be getting close to this Pokémon."

James theorizes, "Maybe it's some sort of giant, black Muk."

Jessie plugs her nose and says, "Eww, it better not be, or else I'm not touching it." She leans down to observe something on the ground.

Meanwhile, James and Meowth walk forward a little way. James asks, "How do we plan on catching this giant Pokémon?"

Meowth tells him, "Don't worry about it. Once we figure out what the Pokémon is, I'll figure out the perfect plan to catch it. First, we just need to catch a glimpse of it."

Jessie is now obscured by some trees. Off in the distance, she's still curiously looking around her. She sees something move. She looks up towards it. All she can see is rustling leaves, and something black moving through them. A muffled musical tone can be heard. A drop of black sludge falls in front of Jessie. She screams.

James and Meowth hear Jessie scream. They look to each other in panic, as Jessie's screams suddenly stop. They then run away screaming.

Meanwhile, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Todd have also heard Jessie's screams. Brenda, sounding horrified, asks, "Guys…what was that…?"

Todd, sounding even more scared, says, "It's the monster…it's coming to finish me off…"

Brock shakes his head. "No, that was someone screaming." He then calls out, "Hello! Is anybody out there!?"

Ash asks, "Brock, do you really think it's the best idea to alert anything that might be out there?"

Before he can answer, two more screaming voices can be heard. Everyone looks towards the source. Meowth and James are running towards them. James shouts, "Help us twerps!"

Meowth shouts, "The monster has Jessie!"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda exclaim in surprise, "Team Rocket!?"

James and Meowth are absolutely terrified. James breaks down and begs, "Oh please twerps, I know we've down a lot of awful things to you in the past, but this is serious! You need to help us!"

Todd, as terrified as ever, asks, "You saw the monster?"

Meowth shakes his head. "No, we didn't see it, but it got Jessie."

Brenda says, "I don't see why we should help you." James and Meowth look dumbfounded at her. They're speechless.

Brock says, "Now wait a second, if Jessie really was taken, they can show us where they last saw Jessie, and maybe that will lead us to the monster."

Meowth and James break down in relief. Meowth says, "Oh thank you, thank you so much."

James says, "I always knew you were the nice twerp." Brock looks at them, almost with disgust.

Ash asks, "So where did you last see Jessie?"

James asks with horror, "Are you sure you want to go there, where the monster was?"

Todd sneaks in, "I'm with him."

Brock says, "If we want to find Jessie and all the other missing people, then we have to find the monster. Now come on, show us where you last saw her." James and Meowth reluctantly nod.

* * *

**It's Giratina!**

* * *

James and Meowth have brought them to the last known location of Jessie. Brock bends over to observe the drop of sludge that fell in front of Jessie. Ash notices it and says, "Hey, it's the sludge again."

Brock nods. He looks around some more. After a few moments of observation, he says, "I think we should all fan out. That way we can cover more ground. If anyone sees any hints of the monster, call for the others."

James, Meowth, and Todd all huddle together in fear. Todd asks, "Are you sure that's the best course of action? What is it just picks us off one by one that way?"

Brock says, "We'll split into groups of two, so that no one is left alone. Todd, you can go with Ash, James and Meowth can stay together, and Brenda can come with me." Everyone nods, and heads off in different directions.

Brock and Brenda stay in the immediate area, while everyone else leaves. Brenda asks, "Do you have any ideas of what this could be Brock?"

Brock shakes his head. "Not yet. I want to keep on investigating this area for more clues first." He seems to notice something on the ground. "Something like that."

"What is it?"

Brock points to marks on the floor. It seems to be some sort of trail leading into the woods. "These marks. It looks like something…or rather someone was dragged away from here."

"You think the monster dragged Jessie away?"

Brock nods. "So if we follow this trail, it could possibly lead us to the alleged monster."

"Let's go then."

* * *

Ash and Todd slowly wander through the woods. Todd seems super jumpy, and leaps in fright at the slightest movement or rustle. Todd asks, "What are we even looking for?"

Ash shrugs. "I don't really know."

Todd then asks, "You don't seem that scared, how come?"

Ash shrugs again. "I suppose it's because I can trust Pikachu and my other Pokémon to protect me." He looks to Todd. "And don't worry, as long as Pikachu and I are here, nothing will touch you."

Todd responds dubiously, "If you say so…"

Suddenly, they hear something rustle behind them. Todd leaps up and shouts, "It's the monster!"

Ash, maybe more scared than he's admitting to, quickly shouts, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leaps off of Ash's shoulders and attacks the bushes while in midair. "Pikaaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuuu!"

The electric attack hits the bushes, and two shouts of pain are heard. James and Meowth roll out from behind the bush, looking singed from the attack. James asks, "Hey, what gives? I thought we were working together."

Meowth adds, "Yeah that hurt."

Todd is absolutely relieved to see it isn't the monster. Ash asks, "Team Rocket!? What are you doing here!?"

Meowth asks, "What does it look like we're doing here?"

"But you were supposed to go off in a different direction."

James responds, "And we did, our direction just happened be just behind yours…so we wouldn't have to be alone…"

Ash sighs. "Fine, you two can tag along with us."

James and Meowth cheer.

* * *

Brock and Brenda continue to follow the trail. Brenda is starting to get a little scared herself. Brock still appears unaffected though. He says, "Judging by the fact that this monster couldn't have dragged a human body so far in such a short time, it can't be much further now."

Brenda nods, "I hope so. The sooner we get to the bottom of this, the better."

Brock points forward. "Hey, what's that?"

Brock is pointing towards a large rock formation. Brenda says, "Hey, it looks like some sort of stage or something."

"Maybe we should check it out. It looks like the trail leads there." They run towards the rocks and look around. "The trail seems to lead around to the other side, let's go there."

They run around to the front of the rocks. They both come to a dead stop as soon as they see what awaits them. Littering the floor in front of them are countless limp bodies. Due to the angle of the scene, we can't see any of them well. Brenda screams.

Brock looks around, and suddenly seems to have a realization. "Hey, I've seen this before!"

Just then, a musical tone can be heard. Brenda and Brock's bodies fall limp and unconscious.

* * *

Brenda's screams can be heard. Ash exclaims, "That was Brenda! She and Brock must have found the monster!"

Todd asks, "What do we do!?"

Meowth shouts, "We run the other way, that's what we do!"

Ash shakes his head. "No, we need to go help them. Come on!" He runs off the direction they heard the screams. Todd follows close behind, and Team Rocket reluctantly follows.

As they get closer, Ash asserts, "Don't worry, we'll save everyone. The villagers…and Jessie."

Meowth and James look to each other. James says to Meowth, "Look at the Twerp. Jessie is our best friend, and yet we keep on trying to run away. The Twerp is determined to save her, even if they are enemies."

Meowth nods in agreement. "We're just pathetic and worthless, that Twerp is a hero."

Ash suddenly skids to a stop. He asks, "Do any of you hear that?" Everyone else stops to listen.

Todd cries, "Oh no, it's that musical noise again! The monster is here!"

Ash asserts, "We have to get out of here before it gets us too!"

Todd shouts, "There's no way we can outrun it!"

Meowth and James look to each other and nod, knowing what they have to do. Meowth says, "Listen here Twerp, James and I are going to stay here as decoys, let the monster get us. You go and help your friends."

Ash is stunned. "What?"

James asserts, "Go, there isn't much time! Just save Jessie too!"

Ash nods. "Thank you." He turns to Todd and nods. They run off.

James and Meowth face towards the direction of the noise. Meowth declares defiantly, "Prepare for trouble you evil creature!"

James shouts, "Make it double, it's time for the main feature!"

"To protect the world from disappearance!"

"To unite all against you in interference!"

"To denounce the evils of the unknown!"

"To extend our reach, despite what we've been shown!"

At this point, they begin to sound drowsy. "Meowth…!"

"James…!"

"Team Rocket blasts off…" Meowth falls to the floor.

"Surrender now or…" James also falls.

* * *

Ash and Todd continue to run. They stop for a moment to catch their breath. Ash says, "Alright, I can't hear it anymore. We're safe for now." He looks around and notices the same rock formation that Brock and Brenda found. He asks, "Hey, what's that?"

Todd looks up and answers, "We call it Stadium Rock. It's a rock formation that works as a natural stage for performances."

"We should check it out. It's in the direction that we heard Brenda from." They begin to move towards the rock, but then something can be heard. It's the same noise from before.

Todd panics. "Oh no! It's found us!" A drip of black sludge falls in front of them. Todd screams. "No! I can't be taken by the monster! No!"

Ash commands, "Todd, get behind me!" Todd takes no time listening. Ash points up in the tree branches where the sludge fell. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt right there!"

"Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes its attack.

The noise stops, and something falls from the trees. It's surprisingly small and somewhat round in shape, but mostly amorphous in form. It seems to be made out of the same black sludge. It begins to walk towards them. Todd screams again.

"Thunderbolt again Pikachu!" Pikachu tries again, but it doesn't seem to have any effect. Ash is not deterred. He pulls out a Pokéball. "If electricity isn't going to work, let's try water! Go Dashilisk! Use Scald!" Dashilisk appears and immediately begins its attack. The stream of water grazes the top left of the monster. A patch of pink skin in revealed. Ash's eyes go wide. "Dashilisk, Scald again, dead center!" Dashilisk attacks again. The black sludge is completely removed from body, revealing a pink, round Pokémon. Ash exclaims, "That's no monster, it's a Jigglypuff!"

The Jigglypuff appears pleased to have the sludge removed from its body. It celebrates by pulling out a microphone.

Ash and Pikachu appear even more surprised. Ash exclaims, "And that's not just any Jigglypuff!"

Jigglypuff sings, "Jiggg ga lyyy puff jiggg ga lyyy ee puff." Ash, Pikachu, Dashilisk, and Todd all fall asleep. Jigglypuff finishes its song realizing that they have fallen asleep. It puffs up angrily. It then pulls the head off of its microphone, revealing a marker. After holding it up to the sky, it begins to draw all over their faces.

* * *

It seems to be morning time now. Ash, Todd, Pikachu, and Dashilisk have been deposited among the collection of bodies at Stadium Rock. Brock, Brenda, Jessie, James, and Meowth are also there. It can now be seen that everyone here is asleep, and has there face covered with graffiti. Everyone begins to wake up at once. Ash stretches and says, "That was a great night's sleep." He suddenly remembers what happened before he went to sleep, and looks around frantically. He sees confused villagers waking up all over. He sees Brock and runs over to him. "Brock, it's not a monster!"

Brock, who has comedic eyes drawn over his, making them appear to be opened, nods. "Yeah, it's Jigglypuff, isn't it?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, how'd you figure it out?"

Brock beckons around them. "I found this and recognized the artist right away."

Brenda, also now awake, asks, "You've seen this before?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, back in Kanto this Jigglypuff started to follow us around. It really wanted to be a star, and sing for everyone. However, being a Jigglypuff, its singing puts people to sleep. In anger it would draw all over their faces."

Todd asks, "What was going on here then?"

Brock responds, "I don't know how it got here, but that wreckage we saw seemed to have been ejected from an airplane. Jigglypuff probably fell with the crates. One of the crates contained a shipment of tar that covered Jigglypuff when it broke."

Brenda then says, "Alright, just one last question. Why'd it bring us all here?"

As if to answer the question, Jigglypuff steps onto the rocks. After happily seeing all that are there, it begins to sing.

Brock, beginning to sound drowsy, answers, "Now it has a captive audience…" He falls asleep again, as does everyone else.

The Narrator laughs. _So it looks like what everyone thought was a monster, actually turned out to be an old acquaintance. What an odd place the world can be. _Jigglypuff continues to sing. The Narrator yawns heavily. He struggles with drowsiness to say, _Stay tuned… _He trails off and begins to snore.

Jigglypuff realizes that everyone has fallen to sleep. It puffs up and leaps at the screen with its marker.

**To Be Continued…**


	29. Episode 29: Family Food Feud

Episode 29: Family Food Feud

Ash, Brock, and Brenda, along with all of their Pokémon, seem to be preparing to eat. The Pokémon are all gathered in a circle with bowls of food in front of them. Ash and Brenda are sitting at a picnic table, and Brock is cooking over a portable stove. He says, "Alright, breakfast is almost ready."

Ash cheers, "Yeah, I'm starving!"

_On their way to meet with Professor Oak at the Starstreak Mountains, our heroes take a much deserved break to eat some breakfast, after all, it is the most important meal of the day!_

Pikachu is just about to grab some food from his bowl, when Rabbolt slyly pushes the bowl to the side. Pikachu's hand misses the bowl. Pikachu seems confused, but shrugs. It then reaches for the bowl again, and this time Rabbolt pulls it in closer to it, causing Pikachu to miss again. Pikachu tilts its head. "Pika?" It reaches once more. Rabbolt pushes the bowl again, but Pikachu notices this time. It shouts accusingly, "Pika pik chu!"

Rabbolt laughs. "Rab rab rab rab!" It then makes a face at Pikachu.

Brenda snaps, "Hey you two, cut it out."

Pikachu turns away from Rabbolt, and takes its bowl with it. It begins to eat. After a few moments, Pikachu notices something in the bushes nearby. It looks up. "Pik?"

Out of the bushes walks a Munchlax. It happily declares, "Munchlax!"

Ash points out, "Hey look, it's a Munchlax!"

Brenda and Brock look over. Brenda exclaims, "Look, it's so cute." She pulls out her Pokédex.

The Pokédex says, "Munchlax, the Big Eater Pokémon and a Normal-Type. Munchlax's metabolism works in a unique way, making it so that it must consume massive quantities of food to keep its energy up. When not eating, it will conserve energy by sleeping. Evolves into Snorlax through friendship."

Brenda suggests, "Hey Brock, do you have any extra Pokémon food? We should give some to Munchlax."

Brock nods. "Sure, I have plenty." He turns around and pours some food into another bowl. He places it down in front of Munchlax and says invitingly, "Here you go, help yourself."

The Munchlax walks over to the bowl and inspects it. It then grabs a piece and plops it in its mouth. It happily declares, "Munch!" It then turns around and calls out, "Munchlax lax!"

As it calls, heads of other Munchlax begin to poke out of the bushes. The happy sounds of Munchlax can be heard all around. The first Munchlax picks up its bowl of food and runs to the opposite side of the clearing. After that, the other Munchlax come running into the clearing. First a group grabs all of the Pokémon food, then several jump up onto the table and grab the condiments.

Ash shouts, "Hey, stop!" He tries to grab one, but it leaps off the table.

Several other Munchlax leap at Brock and take the food he's cooking. All of the Munchlax then run off after the first.

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and the Pokémon stare off in their direction with shock. Brenda says with disbelief, "Those…Munchlax…just…stole…our…food…"

Ash shouts angrily, "How dare they!?" His stomach growls. "I really need some food!"

Brock turns back to his cooking station and says, "Not to worry, I've made some extra." He walks towards the table with a plate of food, but just then another Munchlax leaps out of the bushes, grabs the food, and runs away towards the rest.

Ash, in shock, asks, "Brock?"

Brock, equally in shock, responds, "Yes Ash?"

"You have more food, right?"

He shakes his head slowly. "No, that was the last of it."

Ash shouts angrily, "Munchlaxxxxxxxxx!" The growling of his stomach interrupts his scream. Everyone looks at him. He chuckles awkwardly. "I could use some food…"

Brock sighs. "I suppose we could go to a restaurant at the nearest town."

Brenda says, "Yeah, we should do that… before Ash tries to eat the table." They all laugh.

After a moment of laughter, Ash asks, "Wait, can I do that?"

* * *

Team Rocket is gathered around a tree stump. On the stump is a platter covered with a pile of berries. James declares, "How lucky for us that we found that berry orchard!"

Meowth agrees, "Yeah, now we can finally fill our bellies!"

Jessie declares, "Stop talking, let's dig in!"

They're just about to when Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!" It reaches for a berry.

Jessie slaps its hand. "Hey, there's barely enough for the three of us!" She returns it to its Pokéball.

James asks, "Hey, what's that?" He points to a bush that's rustling nearby. Out of it jumps a Chipmunch.

Meowth says, "Hey, it's a Chipmunch!"

Jessie and James look to each other in panic and then jump up, putting their bodies between the Chipmunch and their berries. Jessie shouts at Meowth, "Don't you remember what happened last we saw one of those monsters!?"

James shouts, "It ate all of our food!" He shouts at the Chipmunch, "You're not getting a paw on our berry stash!"

Chipmunch looks around, and then calls out, "Chip munch munch chip!" At its call, several Chipmunch leap out of the bushes.

James shouts, "Stay back you savages! Back!" They ignore him completely, and run around and leap over them. The first Chipmunch lands on Jessie's face, and leaps onto the stump from there. The group of Chipmunch grab the platter and run off into the forest with the berries.

Jessie, James, and Meowth look at each other and sigh in despair.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have now arrived in a town. They're walking down a street looking for something to eat. They turn towards a door with a large sign above it. Just as they're about to walk in, a man steps out and says, "Sorry, but we're closed, you can't eat here." He slams the door shut.

Brenda complains, "That was the fifth closed restaurant in a row, what's going on here?"

Brock suggests, "Maybe it's a holiday or something."

Ash complains, "I really need some food, and soon."

Pikachu nods weakly in agreement. "Pika…"

Brock says, "Alright, if all the restaurants are closed, then maybe we should try the market."

Ash nods anxiously. "Yes, yes! Let's get some food!"

* * *

They've now made it to an open air market, however it is completely deserted. They walk by stand after stand, all of which are absolutely empty. Brock shakes his head. "No good, these are all empty too."

Ash shouts to the sky, "Isn't there a single scrap of food somewhere in this town!?"

Pikachu adds, "Pika pi!?"

An old woman steps out from the shadows of a shop stand. She says, "No, there isn't."

Everyone leaps in surprise. They turn to see her. Brock asks, "Why isn't there?"

The old women responds, "There hasn't been any extra food in this town for weeks. We've been plagued."

Brenda suddenly realizes something. "Wait a second! There is some food. I forgot that I had these." She rummages in her bag and pulls out a bag of chips. "We can at least share it for a snack."

The old woman backs off with horror. She shouts, "No, you fool! Put that away! Put it away now or they'll come!"

Ash and Pikachu are too excited to notice her warnings. Brock asks, "Who? Who will come?"

"They will come! They will come!" She runs back into her shop.

Brenda opens the bag. As soon as she does, the head of a Chipmunch pokes up over a nearby counter. Brenda points to it. "Hey look, a Chipmunch!"

Ash doesn't seem to care. "Come on, just give me some of those chips."

On the opposite side of the market, a Munchlax pokes its head over a counter. Brenda exclaims, "And it's another Munchlax!"

Ash looks at it and shouts, "Oh no, you're not getting my chips!"

The Munchlax leaps up shouting, "Munch!"

At the same time, the Chipmunch leaps up and shouts, "Chip!"

Once they have both leaped up, they are followed by others of their species. A group of Munchlax rush at the bag of chips from one side, and a group of Chipmunch from the other. Brenda holds the bag of chips in the air in an attempt to stop the Pokémon from getting it. The two groups collide and begin to fight. The Chipmunch use Super Fang to attack the Munchlax, while the Munchlax attack the Chipmunch with Body Slam attacks. One Chipmunch climbs up Brenda's body and grabs the bag in its mouth. Brenda shouts, "Hey!" but the Chipmunch ignores her and leaps off.

A nearby Munchlax notices the Chipmunch has the food and chases after it. It catches up and grabs onto the bag. The two Pokémon each tug at the bag in a tug-o-war. The bag rips and explodes open, sending chips flying everywhere. The Pokémon all stop fighting and rush to pick up as many chips as they can. Once all the chips have been picked up, the Pokémon regroup and the Chipmunch run off in one direction, while the Munchlax run in the other.

Ash is speechless. After a moment he asks, "What…just happened…?"

The old woman comes back out. "I warned you. What you just witnessed is what has been plaguing our town for the past month. If any food is left outside, those two groups of wretched Pokémon will wage war over it! All of our access to food supplies is completely gone! We've barely got enough to feed ourselves."

Brock says, "That's odd. Do you know anything about these Pokémon?"

"The Chipmunch come from the woods to the west, while the Munchlax are from hills in the east. They used to keep to themselves, but something in the past month has caused them to come to our town for food, and they take everything they can get their greedy paws on."

Brenda says, "That's awful. Is there anything we can do to help?"

Ash adds, "Yeah, that way we can get our food back too."

The woman shrugs. "I don't know. People have ventured into the domains of these Pokémon, but they are always chased off before they can find anything out."

Ash declares, "Then we'll just have to give it another go."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This troublemaker sends anything and everything to faraway places using its loop, which can warp space.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have ventured into the hills where the Munchlax are said to live. Ash asks, "So if no one has ever been able to get close to these Pokémon, how are we supposed to?"

Brock responds, "Don't worry, I have a plan." Out of his backpack he pulls a can.

Ash shouts in surprise, "You had food!? Why didn't you give it to us!?"

Brock laughs. "Settle down. It's Pokémon food. I doubt you'd want it, and it wasn't enough for the Pokémon."

Ash mumbles, "I might just be hungry enough to eat that."

At the same time, Pikachu eyes the can lustfully. "Pika…" He drools.

Brock says, "Sorry Pikachu, but this food will serve as a distraction, allowing us to get closer to the Munchlax's home."

Brenda says, "That's a great idea, if there's something that will distract a Munchlax, it's food."

They continue to walk through the grassy hills. Ash points, "Look, there's some Munchlax over there!"

Brenda adds, "That must mean we're getting close."

The Munchlax look up and notice them. They run towards them shouting, "Lax munch lax!"

Brock shouts, "Alright, now's the time." He waves the can of food around and shouts, "Hey Munchlax, look at what I've got!" They notice the can and become fixated on it. Brock pops the lid off, puts his hand in, and pulls out some food. "If you want it, go get it!" He hurls the handful of food as hard as he can. The Munchlax chase after it. "Alright, let's hurry forward now!" They all rush forward.

They run over a hill, once on top, they look down. Below them is a valley full of Munchlax marching every which way. They carry food with them, transporting it to giant stockpiles. Sitting on one of stockpiles as if it were a throne is a Snorlax. Brenda marvels, "Wow, they seem to be doing this for that Snorlax." She pulls out her Pokédex.

"Snorlax, the Sleeping Pokémon, and a Normal-Type. Snorlax spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week either sleeping or eating. They will eat massive amounts of food, and will only stop when they grow too tired to continue eating. Evolves from Munchlax through friendship."

Ash and Pikachu are also marveling at the sight, but something else entirely. They are drooling while looking at the massive stockpiles of food. Ash says in wonder, "That might just be enough food to fill me up…"

Brock looks like he's thinking something over. "Hmm…"

Brenda asks, "What is it?"

"That Snorlax. The lady from the market never mentioned anything about a Snorlax." He reaches into his bag and pulls out his Pokéssistant.

Brenda asks, "What do you plan on doing with that?"

"I have an app on here that should allow me to take Snorlax's measurement from afar."

Ash states, "All you should be worrying about measuring is how much food there is down there…"

Brenda asks, "Alright, so what will that do?"

Brock holds up the Pokéssistant and points it at Snorlax. "For the first few months of being a Snorlax, all of the extra eating it does causes it to grow heavier at a predictable rate. If I can measure how wide its stomach is, I can predict how long it's been a Snorlax for." After a moment he exclaims, "Aha! Judging by its size, it's only been a Snorlax for a month now."

Brenda exclaims, "The lady at the market said they've been taking food for the past month!"

Brock nods. "So that must mean they started stealing food to help feed Snorlax."

On a nearby hill, Team Rocket is crouching down, also watching the Munchlax clan. All three are salivating at the sight of the food. James says, "Just look at all that food…we need to get it."

Jessie nods in agreement. "It will replace that food the Chipmunch took from us."

Both jump up and are just about to run down into the valley, but are grabbed by their shirts by Meowth. Meowth says, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down now. We have to think about this fully. If these Munchlax are stealing food, just like those Chipmunch, that must mean the Chipmunch have an equally impressive food supply. We should wait for the right chance, and go after both stashes." Jessie and James seem pleased by this idea.

Back with Ash, Brock, and Brenda, Brenda asks, "What should we do about this?"

Brock thinks it over. "We need to find an alternative source of food for them. Maybe we should search-"

Brock is interrupted by a loud noise. It's Ash's stomach growling. He holds his stomach and laughs awkwardly as Brock and Brenda look to him. It would seem that they weren't the only ones who noticed, as the Snorlax and Munchlax are looking around. The Snorlax points up in the direction of Ash. "Snorrr!" Several Munchlax run up towards their hiding spot.

Brenda shouts, "Oh no, they've spotted us!" They get up and begin to run away. The Munchlax leap after them, shouting angrily.

* * *

**It's Hoopa!**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have been chased into the woods on the other side of the town. The Munchlax suddenly stop chasing them, angrily shout, "Lax munch lax!" and then turn around to leave. Ash, Brock, and Brenda stop running and take a moment to catch their breath. Ash asks, "Why'd they stop chasing us?"

Brock answers, "They must be satisfied that we're out of their territory now." He looks around. "Actually, we seem to be in the Chipmunch territory now."

Brenda suggests, "Then maybe we should try to get a look at them too."

Ash nods. "And maybe grab some of their food while we're at it."

Brock says, "Alright then, let's take a look in this direction."

Not much time later, they locate the Chipmunch's layer. It's a large gnarled and grisly tree. Piled all around its base is a giant stock of food. Chipmunch all around are carrying in food to add to the pile. Ash points, "Hey, look at that." Further up the tree is a hollow, stuffed into which is even more food, and sitting on that food is another Pokémon. It is similar in body shape to Chipmunch, but resembles a squirrel more than a chipmunk. It is grey in color and has a black stripe running down its back. Its tail is large and fluffy. Its cheek pouches are expanded to a much larger size than Chipmunch's, and it appears to be chubby.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Squirrelutton, the Cheek Pouch Pokémon and a Normal-Type. Having an insatiable appetite, Squirrelutton will stuff as much food as they can into their cheek pouches, making sure there is always food available. If a task does not involve food, they will ignore it. Evolves from Chipmunch at level 15."

Brock looks towards it. "Interesting." He pulls back out his Pokéssistant and points it at Squirrelutton. He nods. "Just as I suspected."

Brenda asks, "What is it?"

"Just like I can estimate how long it's been since a Munchlax evolved into a Snorlax by stomach circumference, I can measure a Squirrelutton's teeth length in a similar way. This Squirrelutton evolved just a month ago."

Brenda concludes, "At the same time as the Snorlax."

Brock nods. "This makes a lot more sense actually. The surrounding area should provide enough food to feed either a Snorlax or a Squirrelutton, but both at once must have put such a strain on the food supply that they've had to resort to taking it from the town."

Ash says, "Alright, that's great, but what do we have to do to get back the food?"

"Once again, the only answer is to find some sort of food supply that can sustain both groups."

As he's saying this, some commotion seems to begin in the Chipmunch group. Several new ones run in, and point out towards where they came from. The Squirrelutton declares, "Lutton!" and points in the same direction. The Chipmunch begin to scramble into action, all except a few move off in that direction. The Squirrelutton gets up from its throne and follows behind them.

Brenda asks, "What's going on?"

Ash says, "It looks like they found something important enough to demand all of their attention…" he pauses. "Which means we can take their food!"

Ash starts to run down, but Brock grabs him. "No Ash, we need to figure out what's going on. This could be the food supply we were looking for."

Ash reluctantly follows.

* * *

The scene shows the boundary between the woods and hills. At that boundary is a giant pile of berries, several feet high. A horde of Chipmunch, followed by Squirrelutton appear from the woods. Opposite of them, a horde of Munchlax come up over a hill. They are followed by Snorlax. The two sides see each other and come to a halt at the command of their leader. It is now a stare-down.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda emerge from the woods nearby. Brenda asks, "What's going on?"

Brock answers, "It would seem that both sides have discovered this conveniently placed stock of berries. Now it seems there is nothing for them to do but fight over it."

Brenda says, "That's awful…"

Ash suddenly gets up and declares, "I'll fight them for it!"

Pikachu leaps off his shoulder and takes a fighting stance as well. "Pika!"

After a moment more of staring each other down, the Squirrelutton and Snorlax declare, "Luttoooooon!" and "Laaaaaaax!" respectively. The two sides charge at each other and an all-out battle for the berries begin. The two armies of hungry Pokémon clash with all the ferocity of their appetites. Meanwhile the berries stand untouched off to the side.

Ash suddenly declares, "For the berries!" and he and Pikachu run down into the battle. Once there, Ash begins commanding Pikachu to attack both sides, whichever is closer.

Brenda shouts, "Ash, wait!" but it's much too late. She turns to Brock and asks, "Should we do something?"

"I don't think there's anything we could do to stop Ash from trying to get his breakfast."

Suddenly the ground begins to shake. What looked like a giant pile of berries begins to vibrate rapidly. Metal panels made to look like berries begin open up, allowing for several mechanical arms to emerge from within the hollow structure. Two legs also come out of the bottom and lift the supposed pile of berries into the air. The mechanical arms begin to swipe up the Chipmunch and Munchlax.

Brock and Brenda gasp. Ash, as well as many of the Pokémon, are still too caught up in the fight to notice. Out of the top of the machine appears Team Rocket. Jessie declares, "Prepare for dinner!"

James shouts, "Make it a winner!"

"To protect the world from hunger and famine!"

"To unite all people within our kitchen!"

"To denounce the evils of an empty belly!"

"To extend our reach to the top shelf's jelly!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket eats up all the food in sight!"

"Surrender now and give up all consumables in the light!"

"Meowth that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash hears this and turns around to shout, "What!? When did Team Rocket get here!?" By this point, most of the Pokémon around him have been gathered.

James shouts, "If these Pokémon are so intent on stealing food, then we'll just steal it back!"

Jessie declares, "Of course this food will now be lining the stomachs of Team Rocket!"

Meowth explains, "Once all the Chipmunch and Munchlax are out of the way, their food stocks will be ripe for the picking!"

The Snorlax and Squirrelutton realize that due to Team Rocket's interference the battle is winding down. They both run into action, at first looking like they're going for Team Rocket, but it turns out they're charging at each other. As soon as they get close, they go into battle. Snorlax launches a Hyper Beam at Squirrelutton, but Squirrelutton leaps over it, landing on Snorlax's head. It bites down with a Super Fang attack. Snorlax smacks it off. The two leap at each other again for another attack.

Ash says to Pikachu, "We may still be hungry, but we can't let Team Rocket get away with this." Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leaps towards Team Rocket. "Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" It unleashes its electric attack, but several of the arms of Team Rocket's machine are used to deflect the attack.

Jessie, James, and Meowth laugh. Meowth says, "Silly Twerp, you should know by now that we wouldn't fall for that silly Thunderbolt of yours."

Brock shouts, "Ash, we need something that will pack a greater punch!"

Ash nods. He looks over to see Snorlax and Squirrelutton fighting. "I think I know who could help." He runs over to them. "Snorlax, Squirrelutton, you two have to listen to me! All of your friends are being taken by Team Rocket! You have to stop them!" They continue to fight and don't respond. "Only by combing your strength can we stop them!" Still no response. Ash realizes something and shouts, "If you don't stop them, they'll take your food!"

This last shout seems to hit a chord with them. They both freeze and stop fighting. They turn to Ash and stare at him questioningly.

Ash explains, "They're doing all of this to get to your food. If you stop them, then your food is safe!"

They nod in understanding and turn to face Team Rocket. They look to each other and nod in mutual understanding, seemingly agreeing that their food is more important that this fight. They face Team Rocket again and both begin to charge for a Hyper Beam.

Team Rocket looks at the attacking Pokémon with horror. James says with urgency, "Do something Meowth…"

Meowth shakes his head. "Don't look at me, I didn't think they'd team up…"

Jessie shouts, "So much for our food!"

Both Pokémon unleash their Hyper Beams. The combined attacks destroy the upper portion of Team Rocket's machine, causing to explode, launching Team Rocket into the air.

As they're flying up, all three of their stomachs growl. James moans, "I'm so hungry…"

Jessie adds, "I could eat a Wailord…"

Meowth moans, "I'd settle for a Magikarp…"

They all moan, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off on an empty stomach again!"

Back on the ground, the bottom portion of the machine, the part that was holding all the Chipmunch and Munchlax, begins to roll down the hill. Ash shouts, "Quickly, all your friends are in there!" Snorlax and Squirrelutton chase after it. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and the remaining Chipmunch and Munchlax run behind.

As they're running down, Squirrelutton shouts, "Lutton, squirrel lutton!" Snorlax nods in understanding. Squirrelutton jumps up and Snorlax catches it. Snorlax then throws Squirrelutton. Squirrelutton flies through the air and lands on top of the rolling machine. It runs on top in order to avoid falling off. As it's doing that, it leans over and uses Super Fang to chew through circumference of the machine, causing it to fall apart in half. All the Chipmunch and Munchlax leap out happily. Everyone celebrates.

Brenda says, "That's great that Team Rocket was stopped, but we still have our original problem. What do we do about that?"

The machine stopped rolling just outside another section of woods. As if to answer Brenda, three Pokémon come out of the trees, two Gulpin and a Swalot. The Swalot happily says, "Swalot lot!" The two Gulpin then set down a pile of apples. Swalot beckons to them. Snorlax and Squirrelutton quickly eat them up. Swalot then points up to the forest behind them. Upon closer inspection, all of the trees are covered in apples and berries. Gulpin start coming out of the forest, leaving behind piles of food. The Chipmunch and Munchlax happily begin to chow down.

Brock exclaims, "Wow, it looks like the Swalot and Gulpin are more than happy with sharing their food, and it looks like there's more than enough to go around."

Ash walks up to Snorlax and Squirrelutton, who are sharing some food joyously with Swalot. He says, "Hey Snorlax, Squirrelutton, now that you have access to all this food in Swalot's forest, do you think that you could give the town back all their food?"

The Pokémon both look to each other and then nod. They call out to some of their friends, who then run to go and get the food.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have returned to the market square of the town. Now it is full of people, celebrating the return of their food. A man is saying to them, "Oh thank you so much for getting back our food. Now our town can get back to normal life."

Brock shakes his head and says, "Oh, it's no problem at all. We were just what anyone should do."

The old lady from before walks up behind Ash and taps him on the shoulder. He turns around and she says, "It's because of you three youngsters that my business is open again, please eat as much as you'd like." She points towards her stand, which is now overflowing with a giant pile food. Brenda says, "Thank you so much."

Ash and Pikachu have gone wide-eyed with awe and wonder. A tear comes to Ash's eye as he says, "I don't think food has ever looked as good as it does now." Then he suddenly shouts, "I'm going in!"

Pikachu adds, "Pika pi!" The two literally dive into the pile of food. After a couple of moments they surface, and both begin to throw food into their mouths.

_So not only have our heroes saved a town from a famine, but they have taught two fighting groups of Pokémon how to coexist peacefully. Now, one thing is certain, that shop-owner is going to regret using the words "as much as you'd like."_

Ash suddenly shouts, "She sure is!" and then resumes stuffing himself.

**To Be Continued…**


	30. Episode 30: Make it Double

Episode 30: Make it Double

"It looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" shouts Jessie, James, and Meowth as they fly through the sky. With them is Haking, Repiv, and Wobbuffet, and they all appear singed from a recent electric attack. They arc upwards, and then start to fall. They land in the branches of a tree, getting tangled up in the process. All at once they sigh. James asks, "Did we really just fail to catch Pikachu again?"

Nobody answers except for Wobbuffet who nods. "Wobba."

Jessie then says with despair, "We've failed more times than I can count."

Wobbuffet nods again. "Wobba."

Meowth next complains, "We really fail at this, don't we?"

Wobbuffet nods once more. "Wobba."

Jessie pulls out her Pokéball and says angrily, "No one asked you!" She returns it to its Pokéball. Once it's gone, she instantly returns to pitying herself, and all three sigh at once.

The tree branch they're all caught on suddenly snaps, and they fall to the floor. Jessie and James recall their Pokémon. They just sit there on the floor for several more moments. They all sigh again.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu are standing in a ready stance, seemingly having just finished a battle. Ash relaxes and says, "Good job Pikachu, you showed Team Rocket that they can't steal you."

Brenda comes up from behind and laughs, "Again."

_Having made it through another encounter with the ever-present Team Rocket, our heroes now continue on their way to the Starstreak Mountains. Of course, if their track record is anything to judge by, it won't be long until they meet up with Team Rocket again!_

Brock now comes up and states, "I wonder if they'll ever learn that they can't steal Pikachu."

Ash laughs. "Nah, it wouldn't be the same journey if we didn't have Team Rocket to battle at every corner."

Brock, Brenda, and Pikachu laugh too. Brenda, while still laughing, says, "Yeah, you're probably right."

Ash beckons forward. "Come on, now that we've got our daily dose of Team Rocket, we should be able to move unhindered. Let's get going." They do as he says.

After walking for a little bit, they come across a sign posted to a tree. Ash says, "Hey, look at this!"

Brock walks up to it. It shows a picture of an Aggron and a Charizard. Brock reads, "Attention Pokémon trainers, do you think you have an especially powerful Pokémon? If you do, then come to the Power Pokémon Contest! It's your chance to show off your Pokémon's unique strength and abilities to your peers and rivals."

Brenda exclaims, "That sounds fun."

Ash looks to Pikachu, "What do you think buddy? Want to show off your strength?"

Pikachu nods happily. "Pik."

Brock says, "It's going on now, and looks like it's only a little ahead. Let's go."

* * *

Team Rocket is walking with little energy or motivation. James asks, "Now what should we do?"

Jessie suggests, "We could have another go at Pikachu."

Meowth shakes his head. "I've had my share of failure for today, thank you."

Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!" Jessie doesn't respond. Neither does James or Meowth. They just keep on walking past Wobbuffet. This confuses Wobbuffet. "Wobba?" It frantically and awkwardly runs to catch up. Once ahead of them again, it declares, "Wobbuffet!" Still no response. This saddens Wobbuffet. "Wobba…" It looks around and notices something posted to a tree trunk. Wobbuffet runs up to it. It's a sign for the same contest that was seen earlier. Wobbuffet quickly snags it off the tree and runs it over to Jessie, pointing frantically at it. "Wobba wobba!"

Jessie continues on her way, not paying any attention.

Wobbuffet seems angered. Wobbuffet catches up again and shoves the paper in Jessie's face. It asserts, "Wobba!"

Jessie groans in frustration. She snaps, "What is it!?" as she snatches the paper out of Wobbuffet's hands. She reads it over.

James asks, "Jess, what's that?"

Jessie shows it to him and Meowth. "Apparently there's a contest being held for Pokémon to show off their power."

Meowth, seeming to regain some optimism, says, "Hey, I bet a contest like that will possess piles of pilferable, power-packed primo Pokémon."

James, also perking up, adds, "And something with that many P's has Team Rocket written all over it." He looks to Jessie. "You're a genius Jessie!"

Jessie smiles. "I am, aren't I?"

Wobbuffet shakes its head and grumbles, "Wobbuffet…"

* * *

Team Rocket arrives at a large tent pitched on the side of the road. Judging by the signs, it's the place they're looking for. James states, "Here we are. What's the plan?"

Meowth responds, "I say we hijack this tournament. We sneak in to the control room and take out the organizers. Once we take control of this here operation, we can see for ourselves how powerful the Pokémon are, and we'll have our pick of the crop."

Jessie replies, "That's exactly what we should do. Let's go."

They rush in. Once inside, they see trainers filling up the ten. Among them is Ash with Pikachu, Brock with Blissey, and Brenda with Glitterfly. James points, "Hey look, it's the twerps."

Meowth whispers, "Like a Mothim to the flame."

Jessie says, "We'll save them for last." They all nod slyly and then continue to sneak their way through the tent. They climb some stairs and enter into a control room.

Sitting in the control room, looking out a window towards the crowd, is a man and a woman. The man has short green hair, and the woman has two long segments of blond-brown hair.

Meowth declares, "We're taking over this here contest."

Without turning, the girl asks, "And who might you be?"

Jessie begins, "Prepare for trouble!"

James picks up, "Make it double!"

"To protect…" Jessie trails off as the man and woman turn around.

It's Butch and Cassidy. Cassidy says, "Well, well, well. If it isn't Jessie and James. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

Jessie exclaims, "It's Cassidy!"

James adds, "And Biff!"

Butch shouts angrily, "Are we still doing that!? It's Butch you numbskull! Butch!"

Jessie demands, "What are you second-rates doing here!? The Boss said that we were the only Team Rocket operatives in Tenno!"

Cassidy explains, "And you were, but you can't really expect Mr. Giovanni to keep it like that. He figured that if you two could make it into Tenno, so could a pair of actual Team Rocket operatives. Now we're here scouting out Team Planetary and stealing Tenno Pokémon."

James asserts, "Well, I'll have you know that The Boss recently gave us a promotion. We're Second Class Grunts now, meaning we outrank you."

Meowth adds, "Yeah, and we order you to clear out of here immediately!"

Butch shakes his head. "No can do, Giovanni promoted us in anticipation of our mission. Now we are Second Class Grunts as well. You can't order us to do anything."

Jessie asks, "And just what are you planning to do here?"

Cassidy answers, "What do you think we're doing? We have attracted trainers from all over, all of which think that they have the most powerful Pokémon. Once we find out which is the strongest, we can take it and give it to Mr. Giovanni as a present from the Tenno Region, certainly the first of many."

James stomps angrily to the window and points to Ash and Pikachu. "You see that Twerp there? His Pikachu is easily the most powerful Pokémon in this joint, and we have claim to it. You better not touch it."

Butch looks out the window. "Oh yeah, I remember the Twerp."

Cassidy states, "And we'll be the judge of how powerful that Pikachu is." She steps over to a control panel and says over a loudspeaker, "Would contestant number 63 and his Pikachu please give their demonstration on the center stage now."

Ash excitedly runs up to a raised platform. Several targets raise out of the ground. Ash shouts something and Pikachu leaps into the air, unleashing a Thunderbolt upon the targets, completely destroying them. Out of a wall, several disks are launched towards Pikachu. Ash quickly responds, and Pikachu manages to knock them all away with its Iron Tail. One final target, a giant boulder raises out of the ground. After another quick command, Pikachu Volt Tackles it, crushing it into rubble. Ash and Pikachu take a bow.

Butch and Cassidy are in awe. Cassidy marvels, "Wow, that Pikachu really is powerful. Easily the strongest Pokémon we've seen so far today."

Jessie shouts, "And that's why it's ours! We've been chasing that Pikachu for as long as we can remember! It's as good as ours!"

Cassidy laughs. "Unless we get it first."

This gives Meowth an idea. He smile deviously. "How about this? We make it contest. Whoever can steal that Pikachu first wins. Loser has to leave Tenno."

Butch laughs. "Hah, we have no reason to accept your-"

He is cut off by Cassidy declaring, "We accept!"

Butch looks over to Cassidy with surprise. "What!?"

Cassidy explains, "There's no way we could lose to a couple of losers like them. Let's take the bet, and then we'll never have to worry about them again."

Butch chuckles slyly. "Good point, let's do it."

Cassidy asks, "So what are the rules?"

Meowth answers, "First you've got to call off this contest, so that we start on equal footing. After that, anything goes. Pokémon, schemes, robots, use whatever you want to steal the Pikachu. The time limit is by sunset tonight."

Cassidy nods. "We accept your terms." She turns around speaks back in the loudspeaker, "We're sorry, but the Power Pokémon Contest has been cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to see you again next time." The trainers, most of whom seem upset, file their way out.

Butch declares, "After we beat you here, you'll never forget my name again!"

James shouts back, "Oh yeah!? Well there's no way we're losing to a guy named Boot!"

"Boot!? Do I look like a shoe to you!?" He angrily stomps out. "Come on Cassidy, we'll show them."

She runs after him calling, "Coming Boot!" Butch grumbles angrily.

As soon as they leave the room, James suddenly asks with despair, "How are we supposed to beat them?"

Jessie says, "Yeah, in case you've forgotten, our track record with catching Pikachu isn't the best."

Meowth responds, "And in case you've forgotten, we're the ones with all the experience catching Pikachu. I'm betting they'll make some sort of amateur mistake, like forgetting to electric-proof their equipment. We've got this in the bag."

Jessie nods slowly. "When you put it that way…"

All three shout at once, "Let's go!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon lets loose positive and negative electrical charges from its two antennas to make its prey faint. This Pokémon flashes its electric lights to exchange signals with others.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are back on the road. Brenda states, "Too bad the contest was cancelled."

Brock nods. "Yeah, it could have been fun."

Ash jokes, "I'll bet that they saw Pikachu and me and decided that we were so much stronger than everyone else that it was no contest, so they cancelled it." Everyone laughs.

Suddenly the ground begins to rumble. Brenda shouts, "What's that!?"

A massive humanoid robot marches in. On its front is the Team Rocket R. Ash points to the R and shouts, "It's Team Rocket!"

Two silhouettes appear on top of the robot's head. One says, "Prepare for trouble!"

The other says, "Make it double!"

Brenda sighs. "Not again…"

Cassidy appears and declares, "To infect the world with devastation!"

Butch appears next. "To blight all people in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"  
"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch of course!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

Their Raticate appears and declares, "Rat, raticate!"

Brenda is confused. "Wait…who…?"

Ash shouts, "It's Bill and Cassidy!"

Butch shouts angrily, "It may have been awhile, but I expect you to remember my name is Butch!"

Brenda asks, "Who are they?"

Brock explains, "They're sort of like the 'other' Team Rocket. We encounter them from time to time."

Cassidy shouts, "I'll have you know that we're far superior to the losers you're use to facing! How dare you call us the "'others!?'"

Butch adds, "And we'll prove it by taking your Pikachu!"

Ash sighs. "Not more of this." He reluctantly turns to Pikachu and asks, "Would you mind giving them a Thunderbolt?"

Pikachu sighs with slight annoyance and then jumps off Ash's shoulders. "Pikaaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!" The robot is reaching out to grab Pikachu, but the Thunderbolt hits it, electrocuting it.

In pain, Cassidy shouts, "How could we have forgotten electric-proofing!?"

Butch shouts, "Maybe the same way everyone forgets my name!"

The robot blows up, sending them flying into the air. Butch and Cassidy shout at once, "Wait, this isn't right! We're blasting off like those losers!" They disappear in a sparkle.

Nearby, Jessie, James, and Meowth watch the events as they transpire. Meowth laughs. "Hah! Told you they'd forget to electric-proof their machine."

James nods. "You were right. We are going to win this bet!"

Jessie asks, "Are you ready to show the Twerps our Pika-proofed machine?"

James and Meowth nod and both say, "Let's do it."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are just starting to move again. Brenda points out, "Well, they're really redefining what it means to 'make it double.'"

Before anyone can laugh, Jessie can be heard declaring, "Prepare for trouble, the originals are back!"

James shouts, "Make it double, in case it's Team Rocket you lack!"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all look to each other and sigh. Team rocket comes into sight. They are riding on top of another humanoid robot, very similar in design to Butch and Cassidy's.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

Ash sighs again. "Pikachu, could you manage another Thunderbolt?"

Pikachu, slightly less energetic than before, gets off of Ash's shoulder and attacks. "Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" The Thunderbolt hits, but does nothing.

"We're electric-proofed, or my name's not Jessie!"

"And we'll catch Pikachu, or my name's not James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash says, "Look, we've had enough of Team Rocket today, do you think this could wait until another day?"

James shakes his head. "No way! Besides, if you want to see less Team Rocket, then you should let us take Pikachu!"

Jessie adds, "Not only would we leave you alone, but those knock offs you just saw would leave Tenno for good!"

Meowth declares, "So hand it over!"

Ash shouts, "You'll never get Pikachu!"

Meowth asks, "How do you plan on fighting us off when our robot is encased in a Pika-proof lining!"

Ash grins. "Only a lining you say?" He pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Turcell, I chose you!"

"Turcell!

"Turcell, use Molten Slag!"

"Cell!" Turcell launches a globule of molten material that lands on the robot's chest. The globule begins to eat its way through the metal skin, leaving a hole.

"Now Pikachu, let's try Thunderbolt again!"

"Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuu!" Pikachu launches another attack, this one aimed at the hole.

Meowth shouts, "Wait, no! Not there!" The robot explodes, sending Team Rocket flying into the sky.

They all shout, "Team Rocket's blasting off again again!"

Ash sighs. Brock states, "Let's hope that's the last we see of them for a while."

* * *

**It's Chinchou!**

* * *

A montage of scenes follows. First Butch and Cassidy can be seen using a Raticate mech in an attempt to take Pikachu. It's beaten by Ash combining Pikachu's electricity with Dashilisk's water. Butch and Cassidy are heard shouting, "We're blasting off again!"

Next, Jessie, James, and Meowth use a Meowth mech to take Pikachu. It's defeated by a powerful Volt Tackle. They also shout, "We're blasting off again!"

Then Butch and Cassidy attempt to take Pikachu by force, using their Hitmontop and Houndoom. They are beaten in a double battle by Pikachu and Kappaqua. They shout, "We're blasting off again!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth try a similar tactic, going in with Repiv and Haking. They are beaten by Pikachu and Meteorfight. "We're blasting off again!"

Butch and Cassidy are dressed up as traveling salespeople, selling some sort of Pokémon-related product. Ash hands Butch Pikachu so he may inspect it. Pikachu shocks him and Cassidy with Thunderbolt. "We're blasting off again!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth disguise themselves as Pokémon scientists, and seem to ask to study Pikachu for a moment. Ash and Pikachu aren't fooled, and Pikachu launches them with another Thunderbolt. "We're blasting off again!"

At this point, the montage turns into clips of both teams alternating blasts offs.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are continuing on their journey. It's nearing sunset. Pikachu is panting on Ash's shoulder. Ash says to it, "I'm sorry you've had to work so hard Pikachu. Who would have ever thought that Team Rocket would attack so many times in one day?"

Brock shrugs. "I sure wouldn't."

Brenda adds, "This has to be some sort of record."

Ash nods. "And of course there being two Team Rockets doesn't really help things either."

On one side of the road, Jessie can be heard declaring, "Prepare for trouble!"

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Pikachu sigh.

From the other side of the road, Butch declares, "Make it double!"

Jessie, James, and Meowth march out angrily. Jessie asserts, "To protect the world from devastation!"

Butch and Cassidy march out just as much rage. Butch shouts angrily, "To blight all people in every nation!"

Jessie returns, "To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

Butch counters, "To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And Butch of course!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

"Meowth that's right!"

Raticate kicks Meowth out of the way. "Rat raticate!"

Wobbuffet appears on top of Raticate, weighing it down. "Wobbuffet!"

Mime Jr. then appears on Wobbuffet's head. "Mime mime!"

Cassidy demands, "All right, what are you doing here? We're trying to take Pikachu now."

James shouts back, "Tough luck, we were here first you claim jumpers!"

They continue to argue. Ash, Brock, and Brenda watch as they banter back and forth. Ash whispers, "Hey, maybe we can just sneak out while they're distracted."

Brock and Brenda nod. Brock whispers back, "Good idea." They quietly and slowly tiptoe out of sight.

Jessie shouts, "Pikachu catching is our thing, and there's no way you can out do us!"

Butch shouts back, "If you haven't caught that Pikachu yet, you never will!"

Meowth shouts, "We will and we'll prove it!"

Cassidy asks, "Oh yeah, how about we battle over it!"

Jessie and James nod. They both say, "Let's do it." They pull out their Pokéballs.

Butch and Cassidy do the same. They say, "Great, let's fight!"

Jessie and James send out Haking and Repiv. Butch and Cassidy send out an Aggron and Charizard. This shocks Jessie and James. James says with disbelief, "That's…my Aggron…"

Jessie, equally as surprised, says, "And that's…my Charizard…"

Butch and Cassidy laugh. Cassidy asks, "Do you like them? Professor Namba told us that the silly Delibird delivered these two to you by accident while you were back in Kanto."

Butch laughs some more. "Why losers such as yourselves think that these Pokémon could ever be meant for you is beyond me."

Meowth shouts, "Enough talking, just get to battling!"

Jessie commands, "Repiv, Poison Fang on Charizard!"

James shouts, "Haking, Tackle on Aggron!"

Cassidy counters, "Charizard, Flamethrower!"

Butch responds with, "Aggron, Mega Punch!"

Repiv lunges at Charizard, but Charizard keeps it back with its fire attack. Haking rams itself at Aggron, put Aggron punches it out of the way.

Jessie quickly shouts, "Switch to Wrap!" Repiv wraps around Charizard. "Now Poison Sting!" It then unleashes its Poison Sting directly at Charizard.

James then commands, "Smokescreen Haking!" Haking clouds the field with smoke. "Tackle again!" Haking can be heard attacking, and Aggron can be heard getting hit.

Butch shouts, "Wash it away with Water Pulse!"

Cassidy shouts, "Get it off you with Seismic Toss!"

Aggron launches its Water Pulse. The splashing water from it rids the air of the Smokescreen. At the same time, Charizard grabs Repiv, rips it off, flies straight up, and throws it down.

Jessie and James both shout, "Pikachu will be ours!"

Jessie then shouts, "Poison Sting!"

James shouts, "Sludge Bomb!"

Butch and Cassidy both shout, "We'll never lose to you!"

Butch commands, "Hyper Beam!"

Cassidy commands, "Flamethrower!"

The four moves all collide at the same point midfield. All four members of Team Rocket shout, "Keep the attack up!" The Pokémon continue to attack. The colliding attacks begin to react in the center, creating a large orb of energy. That orb grows larger and larger.

Meowth says to no one in particular, "There's no way this is going to end well."

The orb of colliding attacks explodes. The resulting shockwave sends both groups of Team Rocket flying into the air with their Pokémon in two different directions. They can all be heard shouting at once, "It looks like Team Rocket's…" they suddenly trail off and then continue, "who cares…?"

* * *

Brenda points up into the night sky. "Hey look, two shooting stars!" Two points of light streak across the sky in opposite directions, disappearing in two twinkles of light. "Make a wish."

Ash looks up and says, "I wish that Team Rocket wouldn't bother us anymore."

Pikachu adds, "Pika."

Brenda laughs. "Waste of a wish Ash, that's never going to happen, no matter how hard you wish."

Ash shrugs. "Hey, I can try."

_Our heroes may be sick of Team Rocket, but one can assume that our villains will never tire of trying to steal Pikachu. In fact, there's just about one certainty, Team Rocket will be back, when the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	31. Episode 31: Up the Creek

Episode 31: Up the Creek

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are continuing on their journey. They arrive at a bend in a nearby river. Brock says, "Alright, this looks like a perfect place to have lunch."

Ash cheers, "Yeah, let's eat!"

Brock sets down his backpack and begins to unload materials for a picnic lunch.

_Ah, the great outdoors, the perfect place for a picnic lunch. Of course, when you're our heroes, you get the pleasure of being outdoors all the time. How lucky are they?_

Ash pulls all his Pokéballs off his belt and tosses them into the air. "Come on out everybody!" Turcell, Falcoknight, and Dashilisk all appear. Turcell and Falcoknight cheer happily, and Dashilisk begins to dance around.

Brenda laughs. "That Dashilisk, it's always so happy."

Brock, looking up from pulling plates out of his bag, nods. "Yeah, it sure has a positive attitude."

Dashilisk, upon hearing this, dances some more. "Dashi dashi dashilisk!"

Brenda throws her Pokéballs, releasing Kappaqua, Glitterfly, and Rabbolt. They also cheer happily.

Brock takes a break from setting up to let Blissey and Meteorfight out. The Pokémon all run to go play. Falcoknight and Glitterfly fly around in circles, Turcell finds a sunny spot to bask, Kappaqua, Pikachu, and Blissey go to play in the river, with Rabbolt watching suspiciously and deviously from afar, Meteorfight trains by punching a tree, and Dashilisk begins to run back and forth across the river. After a few moments of playing, Pikachu, Kappaqua, and Blissey turn to watch it. They begin to cheer it on.

Brock calls, "Alright, I have our lunch!" He holds out a plate of sandwiches. Ash and Brenda run over to grab some. They all sit down on Brock's picnic blanket and start eating.

Brenda says, "Wow, Brock, these are your best sandwiches yet!"

Brock smiles. "Thanks, I used a new type of bread that I picked up in Atmos City." He suddenly remembers something. "Hey, I know what could make this better." He reaches in to his backpack and pulls out a jar. "Let's spread some honey on them." He opens the jar.

The moment he opens the jar, there is a rustling in the nearby bushes. Three large Ursaring appear. They roar.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda leap up in shock, as do all the Pokémon except for Dashilisk, who continues its water-running. The Ursaring angrily unleash several Hyper Beams. Everyone runs for cover, except Dashilisk. The Ursaring rampage through the camp, eating the food. Two of them fight over the honey.

While hiding behind a tree, Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Ursaring, the Hibernator Pokémon and a Normal-Type. Ursaring are very territorial, and will attack without provocation, especially if those who infringe on their property possess food. Evolves from Teddiursa at level 30."

At this point, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and all of the Pokémon except Dashilisk are hiding behind trees. Dashilisk continues its business care free. The Ursaring finish eating the last of the food. They turn and look around. They notice Dashilisk and growl at it.

Ash shouts, "Dashilisk, get out of there!"

Dashilisk makes it to the shore and looks to Ash. It waves happily. "Dash dashilisk!"

The Ursaring stomp towards it angrily and growl some more. Dashilisk smiles at them and begins to dance around excitedly. All three Ursaring begin to charge their Hyper Beams.

Ash shouts, "Dashilisk, out of the way!"

Dashilisk still refuses to take the situation seriously. It continues to dance. The Ursaring have fully charged the Hyper Beams and prepare to attack.

Ash shouts, "Dashilisk, no!" and leaps at Dashilisk. Just as the Hyper Beams would hit Dashilisk, Ash pushes it out of the way. The two land in the river and are swept away.

Brock and Brenda shout, "Ash!"

The Ursaring take a few moments of looking where Dashilisk just stood with confusion, but then they turn around to look back at the picnic site. Once they are certain that all of the food is gone, they leave the way they came.

Brock, Brenda, Pikachu, and the other Pokémon come out from hiding. Pikachu runs up to the edge of the river and looks in the direction Ash and Dashilisk were carried. It calls out, "Pika! Pika!" There's no response. Pikachu hangs his head and sadly laments, "Chu…"

Brenda and Brock walk up to it and look around as well. Brenda asks, "Do you think Ash and Dashilisk are okay?"

Brock looks around and points out, "He doesn't have any of his Pokémon, but then again, he is Ash. If anyone can manage, it's Ash."

Falcoknight flies over and declares, "Falllllllcoknight!"

Brock asks, "Do you want to go and look for Ash and Dashilisk?" Falcoknight nods. "Alright, go ahead." Falcoknight flies off in Ash's direction.

Brenda turns to Glitterfly and suggests, "Why don't you go and help out?" Glitterfly nods and flies off as well.

* * *

Ash is struggling to stay afloat in river. He and Dashilisk are being dragged down the river by a strong and powerful current. He looks further down the stream and sees rapids ahead, followed by a waterfall. He shouts between moments of being forced underwater, "Dashilisk…We have to…get out of…the water…before we get…to the waterfall!"

Dashilisk, who seems to have slightly more control than Ash, but not much, responds, "Dashi!"

Ash grabs a hold of Dashilisk's back. Dashilisk attempts to swim with Ash in tow to shore, but has trouble due to the current. Just as it's about reach the shore, they are forced into a rock and split apart, Ash being thrown back into the center of the river. Dashilisk quickly turns around and swims back after Ash, who continues to struggle against the current. Ash manages to grab back on, and Dashilisk attempts to swim back to the banks again, but it's too late. The hit the waterfall.

Ash screams in terror. Despite the extreme situation, Dashilisk remains calm. As it falls, it repositions Ash so that he's riding on top of its back. It then reorients itself so that its head faces downwards. It then releases a jet of water from its mouth using Scald. Just as it did in Ash's battle with Skyler, Dashilisk uses the recoil of the attack to slow their descent. Despite its efforts, the two still fall. They hit the bottom of the fall, but thanks to Dashilisk, it's not that sudden of an impact

Now that they are in calmer waters, Dashilisk manages to swim Ash to the side of the river. They both crawl up onto the bank. Ash coughs. He looks to Dashilisk and says, "Wow, that was some quick thinking Dashilisk, good job."

Dashilisk smiles and begins to dance again. "Dashi dashi!"

Ash sighs and shakes his head. "Dashilisk, I think it's great that you're always so happy, but don't you think you should some things a little more seriously?"

Dashilisk doesn't seem to take this statement in, as it continues to dance care-free.

Ash gets up and looks up the cliff that the waterfall is on. He says, "Hmm, it seems pretty high and steep to climb." He pulls a Pokéball off his belt. "I know, I'll have Falcoknight fly up and look for an easier path." He throws the Pokéball, but it just bounces back to his hand without releasing anything. "Darn, I forgot that Falcoknight and all my other Pokémon are still with Brock and Brenda." He turns to Dashilisk. "I guess it's just you and me."

"Dashilisk!" Dashilisk continues to dance.

Ash shakes his head in disbelief. He looks around some more. "Alright, I suppose we should hike along the bottom of cliff until we find a spot that we can climb up." Dashilisk is too busy dancing to answer. Ash begins to walk off, Dashilisk notices and rushes to catch up, dancing all the way.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**By changing the direction in which it rotates, this Pokémon communicates its feelings to others. When angry, it rotates faster.**

* * *

Team Rocket is huddled around a tree stump with their balloon parked nearby. Jessie asks, "Alright, what's on the menu today chef?"

Meowth is rummaging around in a sack. "Something special. That guy I was talking to on the outside of the forest, he was eager to get rid of this for some reason, so I took it off his hands." He pulls out a jar and a box.

James exclaims, "Ooh, honey and crackers. We get something sweet today."

Meowth nods. "You bet. What sucker gives up perfectly good honey?"

Jessie replies, "A sucky sucker."

Meowth says, "That's for sure," as he opens the jar.

The moment he opens the jar, there is a familiar rustling in the nearby bushes. Out of the bushes burst the three Ursaring from before. Jessie and James, who are facing the Pokémon, freeze up in fear.

Meowth, who is facing away from them, gulps and states with fear, "Let me guess, there's something really scary behind me…"

Jessie and James slowly nod.

Meowth slowly turns around and sees the Pokémon behind him. He's instantly paralyzed in fear.

The Ursaring roar and unleash their Hyper Beam attack at Team Rocket, causing them to fly into the air. The Ursaring happily eat the honey and crackers.

As Team Rocket flies into the air, Jessie smacks Meowth and shouts, "That 'sucker' gave you the honey because this area is full of Ursaring!"

James also hits smacks him. "You dummy! Didn't you know we were in Ursaring territory!?

Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!"

Meowth cries, "I agree with Wobbuffet!"

Jessie asks sternly, "And what did Wobbuffet say?"

Meowth suggests, unsure of himself, "That it's not my fault…?" He laughs awkwardly.

Jessie grunts, "Likely story," as she returns Wobbuffet.

James adds, "I know another likely story."

They all shout at once, "And it's that we're blasting off again!" They disappear in a twinkle of light.

* * *

**It's Klang!**

* * *

Ash and Dashilisk have found a slightly less steep section of cliff, and have proceeded to climbing it. They are almost a fourth of the way up. Ash looks down and calls to Dashilisk, "Stay focused, we can make it."

Dashilisk nods. Ash looks back up, and is shocked by what he sees. Three Ursaring are staring down at them from the top of the cliff. One of them angrily growls. It unleashes a Hyper Beam at Ash. Ash quickly moves sideways, just avoiding the beam. The Ursaring tries another, this time looking at Dashilisk. Ash warns, "Dashilisk, get out of the way!"

Dashilisk looks up at the Ursaring and waves happily at them. "Dashilisk!"

Ash shouts, "Dashilisk, no get away!" This causes Dashilisk to look at Ash and then wave at him. During this process, the Hyper Beam hits just above it, causing it to lose its grip on the rock wall. It slips and falls almost twenty feet.

Ash shouts, "Dashilisk!" He quickly climbs downwards and jumps for the last several feet, landing right next to Dashilisk. Dashilisk is lying on the floor, holding ones of its legs. Ash, beginning to sound angry demands, "What do you think you were doing Dashilisk!? You did exactly the opposite of what I told you, and you fell!"

Despite holding its leg in pain, Dashilisk happily responds, "Dashi dahsi!"

Ash groans. "How could you still be happy!? Your foot is hurt and you probably can't walk now! How is this a good thing!?"

Dashilisk looks towards its foot, thoughtful for a moment. It then happily answers, "Dash dashilisk!"

Ash looks up and sees the Ursaring leaving. "We'd better get out of here in case those Ursaring decide to climb down here and finish the job." He looks around and notices a small cave in cliff base nearby. "Let's go hide over there." He grabs Dashilisk and drags it towards the tunnel.

* * *

Falcoknight has made it to the waterfall. It looks around and sees no sign of Ash or Dashilisk, probably because they've made it to the cave. It looks towards the waterfall and sighs regretfully. It turns around.

A little while later, Falcoknight returns to Brock and Brenda. Pikachu stands at their feet, looking worried. Brock asks, "Did you see anything Falcoknight?"

Falcoknight shakes its head and says regretfully, "Falco…"

Brock looks at his Pokéssistant. "According to this map, there's a waterfall in that direction. If Ash and Dashilisk didn't make it out before then, I'm afraid of what might have happened."

Brenda asks Falcoknight, "And you went all the way to the waterfall, and didn't see either of them?" Falcoknight nods.

Brock suggests, "We should go look on foot. Come on." Pikachu instantly moves.

* * *

Ash and Dashilisk are in the cave. Ash has just finished tying some vines around two sticks on either side of Dashilisk's injured leg in order to make an improvised splint. Ash says, "That should do it. I hope that I followed Brock's instructions okay."

Dashilisk smiles and gives him a reassuring, "Dashilisk!"

Ash looks at Dashilisk and sighs. "Look, I'm sorry that I raised my voice at you earlier. But that's twice today that your carefree attitude has put us in a bad situation. If you had just been paying attention when those Ursaring attacked, and realized they were angry and not friendly, then I wouldn't have had to push you into the river. And look where losing focus while we were climbing got you."

Dashilisk responds, "Dash dashilisk," as if to say, "It's okay."

Ash peeks out the cave entrance. "Alright, it looks like those Ursaring won't come back. Let's get moving." He looks Dashilisk over, turns around so that his back is facing it, kneels down, and says, "Come on, hop on. I'll carry you." Dashilisk happily obliges and jumps onto Ash's back. Ash grunts and stands up straight with effort. They leave the cave. Ash looks up the cliff and says, "I guess that climbing up this is out of the question now. Maybe if we keep on following it, it will turn into a more gradual hill." He walks on, struggling to carry Dashilisk.

* * *

It's nighttime. Ash and Dashilisk are taking refuge in another cave. Dashilisk is leaning against the back wall of the cave, with its injured leg elevated on a rock. Ash is tending to a fire he lit. He says, "Don't worry Dashilisk, we'll just spend the night here, and then we'll find everyone else tomorrow."

Dashilisk nods. "Dashi." And gives Ash a thumbs up.

Ash shakes his head disbelief. "Of course, what am I saying? You never worry about anything." They just sit there looking at each other for a while. Ash finally says, "You know, I've never met anyone, person or Pokémon, who is as outgoing and cheerful as you are. There's no way that having those kinds of personality traits can be a bad thing, and I never thought it was possible, but it can be overdone." Ash shakes his head and sighs. "Oh, who am I kidding? Me asking you to stop being so cheerful would be like you asking me to stop trying to be a Pokémon Master. It's just not who we are."

Despite the fact that it's lying down, Dashilisk begins to wiggle its upper body as if it were dancing. "Dash dashilisk dash!"

Ash chuckles. His stomach rumbles. "Speaking of things that will never change, I'm hungry. We didn't even get to finish lunch." He groans.

Dashilisk smiles, and from underneath it, as if it were hiding it, pulls out an apple. "Dashi dash!"

Ash exclaims, "An apple! Where'd you get that?"

Dashilisk has a flashback to when it was riding on Ash's back. They walk by a tree covered in apples. As they pass it, Dashilisk plucks an apple off the tree. The flashback ends. Dashilsik simply replies, "Dash dashilisk!"

Ash reaches out and grabs the apple. "Thanks Dashilisk." Once he has it, he takes a good grip on it and rips it apart into two halves. He looks at the two pieces and notices one is large than the other. He hands the larger half to Dashilisk. "Here, you have the larger piece, you need to keep your strength up to heal that injury."

Dashilisk happily accepts it. "Dash!" It begins to bite into it.

Ash eats as well. In between bites, he looks to Dashilisk, and Dashilisk to him. They both smile at each other and laugh.

* * *

Brock and Brenda are near the top of the waterfall. They and the Pokémon are searching the forest for Ash. Brenda finally says, "It's hopeless. We've searched this area over and over again all day. Ash and Dashilisk aren't here. What if they didn't make it out of the river before they got to the waterfall?"

Pikachu, who was looking in a bush, looks up towards Brenda with worry. "Pika?"

Brock sighs. "I don't know what would have happened to them if they didn't make it out first." He sighs again. "It's getting late. We should take a rest for the night."

Brenda is surprised by this statement. She demands, "But what about Ash!?"

"Ash is probably doing the same. I'm sure he'll be fine, but the later we stay up, the less alert we'll be, and the less alert we are, the less of a chance we have of finding Ash. Not to mention, we wouldn't want to encounter those Ursaring in the middle of the night."

Brenda sighs in despair. "Yeah, I guess." Pikachu joins her in her sadness.

Brock says, "Hey, but don' forget about Dashilisk. Remember its positive-no-matter-what attitude. If it can do it, so can we."

Brenda shrugs. "I guess you have a point."

"Now come on, let's go back to the campsite."

* * *

It's the following morning. Ash and Dashilisk are huddled together in the back of their cave, sleeping. The fire is out, reduced to nothing but ashes. Ash wakes up and stretches. He looks around before remembering where he is. He turns to Dashilisk and shakes it to wake it up. "Wake up Dashilisk, we should continue our search." Dashilisk slowly wakes up. Ash asks, "How's your leg?"

Dashilisk moves it a little, but then stops suddenly because of the pain. It smiles at Ash and declares, "Dashi dash!"

Ash shakes his head in disbelief. "And, of course, by that you mean it still hurts too much to walk. You're unbelievable."

Dashilisk smiles. "Dashi!"

Ash stands up fully. "Alright, back on my back." Dashilisk climbs back on Ash's back for another piggyback-style ride. They leave the cave.

* * *

They've been walking for a little while now. Suddenly, Ash points ahead. "Hey look there!" He's pointing at the cliff ahead of them. It begins a gradual decrease in height, until in the far distance, it can be seen meeting with the ground. "That's what we've been looking for! We can get to the top of the cliff from there!" With renewed energy, he sprints for the decline.

They've almost made it there when an angry growl is suddenly heard. Ash suddenly freezes. He slowly turns around, knowing what is behind him. The three Ursaring stand there. The middle Ursaring points at Dashilisk and growls, "Ursa ursa ring!" as if to say "We have unfinished business with you!"

Ash kneels down and sets Dashilisk down so it's propped against a tree. He gets back up and looks at the Ursaring. He says to Dashilisk, "If I had any of my other Pokémon, I'd just have Pikachu, Turcell, or Falcoknight battle these Ursaring for you, but seeing as they're not here, and you're in no condition to fight, I have no other choice."

Dashilisk looks at him slightly confused. "Dashi?"

Ash takes a step forward and declares to the Ursaring, "Dashilisk is my friend, and I won't let you hurt it! If you want to get to Dashilisk, you'll have to get through me first!" He raises his arms so that they are straight out in either direction, blocking Dashilisk from the Ursaring's view.

The lead Ursaring grins, as if accepting the challenge, and then growls, "Ursa…" It then commands, "Ursa ring ursa!" All three Ursaring begin charging for another round of Hyper Beams.

Ash closes his eyes and braces himself. Dashilisk looks to the attacking Ursaring, and then to Ash. "Dashilisk?" The three Hyper Beams are fired. In a split second, Dashilisk leaps up, and using its Extreme Speed, knocks Ash out of the way, while also dodging the attacks itself.

Ash exclaims in surprise, "Dashilsisk!?"

The lead Ursaring asks in confusion, "Ursaring?"

Dashilisk declares excitedly, "Dashilisk!" It's back to dancing around. It favors its non-hurt foot, and limps when on its hurt foot, but it seems able to move for the most part. It looks to the Ursaring and says in challenge, "Dash dashilisk!"

The Ursaring growl with rage and each one attacks with another Hyper Beam. Dashilisk dodges each consecutive attack by dancing, making the attack just miss it each time.

Ash says in surprise, "That's what you were trying to do before, back at the picnic! You were paying attention! If I hadn't knocked you into the river, you would have just dodged the attacks! The same if I hadn't distracted you on the cliff side!"

Dashilisk looks back to Ash and nods, happily declaring, "Dashilisk!"

Ash sighs. "I'm sorry I doubted you Dashilisk."

"Dashi!" It returns its focus to the Ursaring. They attempt to attack with more Hyper Beams, but Dashilisk dodges each and every one of them. It then leaps into air, covers itself in water, and rams into the Ursaring.

Ash exclaims, "That was Aqua Jet! You learned how to use Aqua Jet, Dashilisk!"

Dashilisk, now that it is close, attacks with Dragon Claw. This causes the Ursaring to run away. Dashilisk turns to Ash and happily declares, "Dash dashilisk!" and begins to dance the best it can with its injured leg.

Suddenly, "Falllllllcoknight!" can be heard.

Ash looks up to see Falcoknight flying overhead. He calls excitedly to it, "Falcoknight, over here!" Falcoknight sees Ash and turns around.

Within moments its back, and Brock, Brenda, Pikachu, and Ash's other Pokémon are running behind it, coming down the hill.

Ash runs towards them to. Pikachu runs ahead of the others. "Pika!"

Ash shouts happily, "Pikachu!" Pikachu leaps into Ash's arms and Ash hugs it.

Brock asks, "How are you doing? Are you two okay?"

Ash looks to Dashilisk and back to Brock and nods. "Yeah, we're fine. We've reached a new understanding actually. Didn't we Dashilisk?"

Dashilisk nods excitedly. "Dashi!"

Brenda exclaims, "That's great!"

Ash puts his arm around Dashilisk shoulder. "It sure is."

_Sometimes the only way to learn about another is to be thrown into the most extreme of circumstances with them. Ash and Dashilisk certainly learned this hard way, but their partnership will be all the stronger now because of it, as the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	32. Episode 32: Myth-ion: Impossible Part 1

Episode 32: Myth-ion: Impossible Part 1

Brock is bending over, observing Dashilisk's leg. He removes a splint from it and says, "Alright Dashilisk, your leg looks all healed up. It should be fine to walk on now." Dashilisk leaps up happily and begins to dance. Brock laughs. "Or dance on, that works too." Brock stands up and says to Ash and Brenda, "Alright, the checkup's over. We can get back to the road now." Ash recalls Dashilisk and they begin to walk off. In the distance, a mountain range can be seen.

_Our heroes have finally made it to the base of the Starstreak Mountain Range, where they plan to meet up with an old friend, and maybe find a legend in the process._

After walking a little more, they see two people up ahead. It's Professor Pine and Professor Oak. Ash calls out excitedly, "Hey, Professor Oak!"

The Professors turn to see them approaching. Oak calls back, "Ash my boy, so nice to see you!"

Ash and Pikachu run the rest of the way. Ash pulls out his badge case and shows it to Oak excitedly. "Look Professor, these are my two Tenno Gym Badges!"

"They're great my boy. I can see you're making quite the progress here in Tenno. Aren't you glad you ran that errand for me?"

Ash nods. "I sure am."

Brock and Brenda catch up. Brenda says happily, "Hi Professor Pine, how are you?"

Pine smiles. "I'm great. How's your journey going?"

"Great, I won my first ribbon a while back!" She eagerly shows it to him.

Oak turns to Brock and greets, "And if it isn't Brock. It's been far too long."

Brock nods. "It's a pleasure to see you again Professor."

Brenda leans over and asks Brock in a whisper, "Who's the old guy?"

Oak cringes and exclaims, "Old!?"

Brock asks with surprise, "You've never heard of _the_ Professor Oak?" Brenda shakes her head. "He's one of, if not the, most forefront Pokémon researchers in the world."

Pine nods in agreement. "Yes, the Professor and I actually go way back. We were colleagues back in college. He was the only person in my class who could outperform me."

Oak says modestly, "Oh Pine, you know that when it comes to topics relating to outer space, I can't hold a candle to you." In a change of topic, Oak turns to Ash and says, "By the way, there's someone here who'd like to see you." He shouts towards the trees, "Hey, Ash is here!"

A familiar voice calls out from the trees, "Sorry, I'll be right there! I saw a Protostar and just had to sketch it!" A figure emerges from the trees.

Ash exclaims, "It's Tracey!"

Surely enough, the figure emerging from the trees is Tracey Sketchit. He waves happily, "Hi Ash, Hi Brock."

Ash asks, "What are you doing here Tracey?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm Professor Oak's assistant after all. I'm here to assist him." After a moment he then adds, "Not to mention that I want a chance to sketch a picture of that Legendary Pokémon that's said to live here."

Ash turns to Brenda and explains, "This is Tracey Sketchit, he's a Pokémon Watcher. Pikachu and I met him back when we were traveling in the Orange Islands in Kanto. He's great at drawing pictures of Pokémon, and he's working as Professor Oak's lab assistant."

Brenda extends a hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Brenda. I've been traveling with Ash through the Tenno Region."

Tracey shakes her hand. "It's nice to meet you too Brenda."

Oak watches and then says, "I think this event demands a poem." He takes deep breath and recites, "Friends, old and new, come together in a grand view."

Brenda looks at him with awe and asks, "Wow, did you just come up with that on the spot?"

Brock explains, "As well as being a Pokémon expert, Professor Oak is also a renowned Pokémon poet."

Ash then turns to Oak and says, "Now, how about that Legendary Pokémon?"

Oak smiles. "Remember Ash, I said that we _might_ see that Pokémon, there's not actually any proof of its existence."

Pine interrupts, "Sorry, but that's not entirely true. Throughout history there have been many reports of mysterious sightings in this area. On top of that, modern scientists are beginning to realize that many of the legends relating to the Cosmic Architect may actually be true."

Oak laughs. "And by 'modern scientists,' you mean yourself, right?"

Pine grins. "Isn't that the only opinion you need?"

Ash then exclaims, "I don't care, I want to see it anyways!"

Oak laughs. "That enthusiasm is why I love you! Let's get moving."

* * *

The group has hiked up into the mountains. Tracey and Brock are talking. Tracey is saying, "So the Professor told me that you decided to become a Pokémon doctor. How's that going for you?"

Brock smiles. "It's great. I've always felt the need to help and protect Pokémon, and now I can better than ever."

Tracey nods. "That must be great."

Ash asks, "How about you Tracey? You must be learning a lot about Pokémon as Professor Oak's assistant."

Tracey grins. "You bet I am. It's the opportunity of a lifetime. I get hands on experience with Pokémon, not to mention that trainers from all around the world send Professor Oak their Pokémon, and I get to see, and sketch, them all."

Ash laughs. "Speaking of all the Pokémon at the lab, how are all mine doing?"

"They're great Ash. Bulbasaur is continuing its job as Pokémon peacekeeper perfectly. We've barely seen a single dispute between the Grass and Water Pokémon since you left. Everyone else is doing wonderfully."

Ash smiles. "That's great to hear."

Brock looks to the Professors and says, "If I may ask, where are we heading right now?"

Professor Oak answers, "There's a system of caves in these mountains. Professor Pine and I were planning to study the types of Pokémon that live in those caves."

Professor Pine adds, "The easiest entrance point to those caves is just up ahead, once we get a little higher up. Actually, it won't be too much further now."

Ash asks, "Are those caves where the Legendary Pokémon lives?"

Professor Oak begins to explain, "The alleged sightings take place all over the mountain range, there's nothing to suggest that it would live-"

Professor Pine cuts in, "If an undiscovered Pokémon wanted to stay out of sight while living in these mountains, it would make sense for it dwell in the caves."

Professor Oak turns to him and argues, "Yes, but that's all conjecture!"

Pine counters, "It's a summation based on the available facts!"

The two continue to debate. They have no malice or anger in their voices, this is a purely academic debate. Oak proclaims, "Of which there are practically none!"

"Ah, but you say practically! That means that you admit that there are some facts!"

"Yes, some, but not nearly enough to say that this Pokémon of myth actually exists!"

Brenda, trying to break up the argument, asks, "Professor Pine, I've been wondering, why are these mountains called the Starstreak Mountains?"

Pine, instantly breaking out of the debate, answers, "Once again, the answer lies with the Legendary Pokémon. They say that when it first came to Earth, it fell from the sky over these very mountains in a brilliant trail of light. It looked like the brightest star was falling from the sky into these mountains. Ever since then these mountains have been known for that very event."

Oak jokes, "If you can call a story an event."

Tracey, who has pulled ahead of the group, calls back, "Hey, be quiet, there's some people at the cave entrance!"

Both professors stop debating and look forward. They both ask at once, "Who?"

Everyone catches up with Tracey and looks down a hill towards a craggy inlet in the mountain. There seems to be an operation of some kind underway, with a large group of people moving about, and transporting equipment. The people are Team Planetary Grunts.

Pine says with disgust, "It's Team Planetary."

Brenda complains, "Not them again."

Tracey asks, "Wait, I thought Team Planetary was an organization that leads the Tenno Region in technological advancements. What's wrong with them?"

Ash explains, "That's only on the surface. They pretend to be a legitimate business, but they're actually crooks who steal whatever people won't give them."

Pine adds, "They stole one of my Pokémon reserved for new trainers."

Brock adds, "And they stole Crate the Horizoport Gym Leader's Meteoric Shards."

Tracey exclaims, "That's awful!"

Oak asks, "Then what are they doing here?"

Ash says, "No good, that's for sure."

They look around. While most of the people are grunts, there are two people who stand out. One is Cosmo, and the other wears the uniform of a Team Planetary Commander. He is a large muscular man, with military-cut brown hair. Ash suddenly steps forward and says angrily, "Cosmo's with them!" He begins to move forward.

Brock grabs him by his shoulder. "No, Ash, we can't let them know we're here. Let's stay up here and figure out what's going on."

Ash sighs. "Yeah, you're right."

On the opposite side of the rocky inlet, Team Rocket watches Team Planetary as well. Jessie states with anger, "Those copycats are back."

James demands, "How dare they show their faces again?"

Meowth declares, "We'll just have to show them what the power of originality can do."

Jessie asks, "What do you suggest that we do?"

Meowth responds, "We do some recon here, figure out what their plan is, and then we ruin it.

James nods. "I like that plan."

Down at the bottom of the inlet, Cosmo and the Planetary Commander are talking. Cosmo asks, "How does finding this Legendary Pokémon help advance our plans?"

The Commander laughs loudly, roughly, and hardily. He pats Cosmo on the back, but with such force that it causes Cosmo to stumble forward. He says in an equally loud, rough, and hardy voice, "Kid, you should know better than that! This Pokémon is a Cosmic Guardian, servant of the Cosmic Architect. We capture it, and we're that much closer to being able to use the power of the Cosmic Architect to help the people of Tenno. Not to mention, this Pokémon supposedly protects one of the Grand Meteoric Shards. Imagine what we could do if we got our hands on that kind of power."

Cosmo nods. "I suppose so. Just tell me Commander Orion, why must we be so secretive of this? If what we are doing really is for the betterment of the Tenno Region, why must it be kept a secret?"

The man, apparently named Orion, laughs again. "You ask too many questions for your own good kid. If others were to learn that Team Planetary was hunting for a Legendary Pokémon, others would come here looking for it as well. We can't have that now."

Cosmo nods again. "Right, and it is vital that Team Planetary be the only ones with access to such a power, because others may abuse it."

Orion laughs. "Bingo, we have a winner! Remember that, and you'll go far kid." He then turns towards all the grunts and declares, "Alright grunts, we're just about ready to move out! Once we get in there, our number one priority will be to find that Legendary Pokémon!"

All the grunts stand at attention and salute. They then turn to begin transferring their machinery into the cave.

From up above, Ash says, "So they're going after the Legendary Pokémon."

Oak comments, "Strange, you would think an organization as large and prestigious as Team Planetary wouldn't put so much faith in myths and legends."

Pine shakes his head. "No, it makes sense. We already know that they're collecting Meteoric Shards, it's not much of a stretch to go after a Cosmic Guardian. It is said that the Cosmic Guardians were constructed by the Cosmic Architect out of the materials leftover from the creation of the solar system, the same material that the Meteoric Shards are made out of."

The last of the grunts enter the cave. Ash says, "Come on, we've got to follow them!" He rushes down, everyone else follows. They run into the cave entrance.

In their hiding spot, Team Rocket is discussing their options. Jessie says, "So those copycats are going after a Legendary Pokémon."

James nods. "I like the sound of that. If there really is a Legendary Pokémon in there, then it has Team Rocket written all over it."

Meowth agrees, "We snatch that Legendary Pokémon, and then not only will we rob those copycats of what they want, but the originals will get a major payday from The Boss!"

The three cheer, and then run into the cave themselves.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This very friendly Dragon-Type Pokémon will hug its beloved Trainer, leaving that Trainer covered in sticky slime.**

* * *

Ash and friends now wander through the caverns. Brenda observes, "I think we lost track of them. How are we going to find them now?"

Tracey's face lights up. He exclaims, "Hey, I've got an idea!" He tosses a Pokéball. "Go, Azumarill!"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Azumarill, the Aqua Rabbit Pokémon and a Water and Fairy Combo-Type. This Pokémon uses its large ears in order to sense the smallest of vibrations, allowing it to be an expert tracker. Evolves from Marill at level 18."

Ash marvels, "Wow Tracey, your Marill Evolved into an Azumarill!"

Tracey nods. "It sure did. Since it Evolved its ears have been stronger than ever."

Professor Pine realizes, "And you can use its ability to hear in order to locate Team Planetary!" He looks to Professor Oak and compliments, "You have a very clever assistant Samuel."

Oak smiles with pride. "He's one of a kind."

Tracey looks to Azumarill and says, "Alright Azumarill, I want you to listen for the sound of the footsteps of a large group of people."

Azumarill nods. "Azu!" It looks around and its ears twitch. It concentrates. A few moments later it exclaims, "Azumarill!" It points towards the right.

Tracey says, "Great! Thanks Azumarill!" They run off with Azumarill leading the way.

Just behind them is Team Rocket. Jessie says, "It looks like the Artsy Twerp knows exactly where to go."

James declares, "We follow them, we find those phonies."

Meowth nods in agreement. "Sounds like a plan to me." They run off as well.

* * *

**It's Goodra!**

* * *

Team Planetary has set up a center of operations in a large chamber in the cave. A grunt is reporting to Orion. She says, "Sir, according to our energy detectors, the Grand Meteoric Shard is hidden somewhere near this chamber."

Orion nods. He exclaims in his somewhat obnoxious voice, "That's great news!" He turns to Cosmo and shouts, "Hey kid, you hear that!? We're on the verge of finding our first Grand Meteoric Shard!"

Cosmo is leaning back against some equipment. He grumbles with some resentment, "I thought I was supposed to be in charge of this mission."

Orion laughs. "Ha! Don't be silly kid! You may be the future leader of Team Planetary, but for now I still outrank you. It would be best if you remember that. The boss sent you here to learn more about leadership, and if I might add, he paired you up with the best teacher!" He laughs.

Cosmo rolls his eyes. "Of course."

Orion turns to the grunt that reported to him, and commands, "Now the next step is to set up the device. Get it ready right away."

The grunt salutes. "Yes Commander." She turns around and leaves.

Behind a nearby outcropping of rocks, Ash and friends are spying on them. Ash whispers, "Did you hear that? We don't have any time left to spare. We have to stop them now."

Suddenly from behind them, Jessie's voice says, "We're with you Twerp. What's the plan?"

Everyone turns around with surprise and says in shock, "Team Rocket!?"

Jessie nods. "That's right, so prepare for trouble!"

James adds, "We're not here to fight, so make it double!"

"To protect the hopeless Twerps from fakes!"

"To unite with our enemies, or whatever it takes!"

"To denounce our rivalry, at least for now!"

"To extend our reach, and make you say wow!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket says the enemy of our enemy is our friend!"

"Don't surrender now, your hands you should lend!"

"Meowth, at least until the end!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash asserts, "Get out of here Team Rocket, we don't have time for you!"

Meowth asks, "Didn't you listen to The Motto? We're here to help you."

Tracey asks, "Are you sure these are the same three from before?"

Ash nods. "They are."

Brock asks, "Why should we trust you?"

Jessie explains, "Because we have a beef to pick with those copycats Team Planetary. They think that they can steal our thing, so we have to stop them by any means necessary."

James adds, "And that includes calling a truce with you Twerps."

Professor Oak says, "I don't think we should trust them."

Jessie declares, "Face it gramps, you're vastly outnumbered, you need our help to stop them."

James nods. "You have no hope without us."

Ash and Pikachu look to each other and nod in understanding. Ash steps forward and says, "I think we should trust them."

Everyone looks at him in surprise. Brenda asks, "Why should we trust them? What if this is another trick to take Pikachu, or one of our other Pokémon?"

"Because it would be too hard for them to keep their plan going smoothly with Team Planetary here as well. It's too many variables."

James shouts, "Exactly, we're not that smart!"

Jessie and Meowth give him glaring looks of disapproval.

Brock nods. "I agree. We could really use their help."

Brenda nods too. "Alright, fine." Team Rocket cheers.

Oak says, "Alright, then all we need to do now is come up with a plan of attack. As of right now we have the element of surprise."

Tracey is looking out towards Team Planetary. He says, "Umm…maybe not for long." He points out over the rock outcropping. Everyone peeks over. Team Rocket has made their way out into the open.

Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble!"

James shouts, "Make it double!"

At this point, all of Team Planetary is looking towards them. Team Rocket continues their motto.

Brock complains, "Great, they've ruined our surprise!"

Pine shrugs, "I guess that's what we get for working with the likes of them."

Brenda sighs. "I guess there's nothing to do now but join them out there."

Ash gets up. "Finally, I'll get my rematch with Cosmo. Let's do this!"

Everyone leaps out from their hiding spot as Meowth is declaring, "Meowth that's right!"

Cosmo sighs. "Great, not only is it these clowns again," he looks towards Ash, "but it's them too."

Orion asks, "These are the kids who tried to stop you from appropriating both your first Pokémon and the Meteoric Shards?"

Cosmo nods. "The very same."

Ash shouts, "Cosmo, I'm taking back everything you've stolen! And we're going to stop you from taking anything else!"

Cosmo shouts in anger, "Why don't you understand!? Everything I do is for the greater good of the Tenno Region! I'm not the crook you think I am!"

Ash shouts back, "If that was really the case you wouldn't steal whatever you want! You're nothing but a bully, using your position in Team Planetary to take whatever people won't give to you!"

Orion steps forward and declares, "Enough of this. You will get out of our way, for we are Team Planetary!" He throws a Pokéball. "Show them Meteormight!" The Pokémon he sends out is made of a silvery-black rock, with singe marks coating its body. It has large muscular arms and legs, and its body is mainly composed of its head, except for a small torso region below its face.

Ash takes out his Pokédex, saying, "Hey, that looks like Meteorfight."

"Meteormight, the Space Warrior Pokémon and a Rock and Fighting Combo-Type. Meteormight's fists can hit with the force of a meteorite hitting the Earth's surface. It can retract its limbs in order to hurl itself at an opponent with an even greater force. Evolves from Meteorfight at level 34."

All of the grunts throw Pokéballs, releasing various Protostar, Lunatone, and Solrock. Cosmo then throws his Pokéball, sending out his Buffern.

Ash shouts, "I'll take Cosmo!" He throws a Pokéball. "Turcell, I chose you!" Once it's out, Ash says to it, "Turcell, this Buffern Evolved from the same Sporout that you lived at Professor Pine's lab with. We need to rescue it from Cosmo!"

Cosmo shouts with anger, "Buffern is my Pokémon! We have grown and bonded together!"

"I refuse to believe that! You stole that Pokémon! Turcell, use Ember!"

Cosmo counters, "Buffern, Foliage Fortress!" Buffern blocks the attack with ferns that grow out of its back.

Brock throws a Pokéball too. "Meteorfight, Comet Punch on Meteormight!" Brock's Meteorfight emerges from its Pokéball and punches Orion's Meteormight in face.

Orion shouts, "Meteormight, don't take that from such a wimp! Attack with Meteor Mash!" the two meteor Pokémon begin to duke it out.

Tracey says, "That leaves the grunts for the rest of us! Go, Scizor!" Tracey sends out his Scizor, which apparently Evolved from his Scyther. "Scizor, use X-Scissor!" Scizor flies at a Solrock and slashes its pincers at it in an X formation.

Brenda tosses a Pokéball, releasing Kappaqua. "Kappaqua, attack with Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqua launches its Aqua Bomb, of which the shockwave hits several Protostar, Lunatone, and Solrock.

Jessie and James call out their Repiv and Haking. At the same time, Jessie commands, "Poison Sting!" and James shouts, "Sludge Bomb!" The two Pokémon unleash their attacks on the Planetary Grunts' Pokémon.

The professors stand back and observe.

Cosmo commands, "Buffern, Razor Leaf!" It launches multiple spinning leaves at Turcell.

Ash shouts, "Withdraw Turcell!" Turcell pulls into its shell and the leaves bounces harmlessly off of it. "Now use Molten Slag!" Turcell spits a globule of molten material.

"Knock it out of the way with Mud Slap, and then move in closer and attack with it again!" Buffern stands on its hind legs, and its front legs become covered in mud. In slaps the attack out of the way, and then runs at Turcell.

"Withdraw again!" Turcell pulls back into its shell, right as Buffern slaps it, but this seems to offer little protection, as Turcell is knocked back against the cave wall. Ash grunts.

Brock commands, "Meteorfight, use Meteor Slam!"

Orion shouts, "Show it a real Meteor Slam, Meteormight!" Both Pokémon draw their arms and legs into their bodies and then throw themselves at their opponent. Both Pokémon collide with great force, and knock each other back.

Brock quickly shouts, "Spring off the wall and use Meteor Mash!"

"Do the same Meteormight!" Both Pokémon change the direction of their momentum by pushing off against the cave wall. Their fists then collide midway.

Tracey commands, "Scizor, use Double Team, and then attack with X-Scissor!" Scizor splits into multiple versions of itself, and then each of them slashes at various Planetary Pokémon.

The Pokémon hit by the attack are sent flying towards Kappaqua. Brenda shouts, "Kappaqua, use Confusion!" Kappaqua catches all of the Pokémon then slams them into the ground. "Then follow it up with another Aqua Bomb!" With the launching of another attack, Kappaqua hits all the Pokémon again.

James commands, "Haking, Smokescreen!" Haking covers the area around it, Repiv, and several Planetary Pokémon with smoke.

Jessie declares, "Now, while they can't see you, use Poison Fang!" The silhouette of Repiv can be seen slithering from Pokémon to Pokémon, biting down on each of them.

Meowth cheers, "Yeah, no way a bunch of copycats are going to beat the original Team Rocket!"

Wobbuffet appears and begins cheering on Jessie. "Wobba wobba!"

In the midst of battle, a beeping noise can be heard. A grunt shouts, "Commander Orion, that's the Meteoric Calling device! It's working! We're attracting the Legendary Pokémon!"

Orion moves all his focus from the battle to a strange machine behind him, the source of the beeping. He declares, "Yes, it's finally time! Come out little Legendary Pokémon!"

Suddenly there is an intense flash of light. Everyone stops fighting and looks towards the source. Cosmo looks towards the source of the light with awe. He says with wonder, "It really is here."

Professor Oak says with disbelief, "No, that's impossible…"

The light begins to dim, and a small form can be seen within it. Orion shouts, "Grunts, get that Pokémon!" The grunts all begin to move towards the light. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Tracey move to try to stop them.

Everything freezes. _What is this? Could it really be the Legendary Cosmic Guardian Pokémon of myth? And if it is, what could Team Planetary possibly want with it? The answers to these questions and more, next time…_

**To Be Continued…**


	33. Episode 33: Myth-ion: Impossible Part 2

Episode 33: Myth-ion: Impossible Part 2

_During what started off as a research trip in the mountains, our heroes, along with the Professors Oak and Pine, and old friend Tracey Sketchit, have found themselves in an all-out battle against the duplicitous Team Planetary. With Team Rocket becoming unlikely allies, our heroes are doing all they can to stop Team Planetary from getting their hands on the legendary Cosmic Guardian Pokémon. But now that the mythical Pokémon has appeared, what will our heroes do? Let's find out._

Ash, Brock, Brenda, Oak, Pine, Tracey, Team Rocket, and Team Planetary are all looking with awe and amazement at a brilliant source of light before them. The light dims enough to see a figure in the light. It is small, only a foot or two tall. It seems to be made of some sort of glowing silver and gold stone material and has a somewhat distorted humanoid shape. It floats in the air and is surrounded by a blazing fire, the source of the light.

Ash takes out his Pokédex. It prompts, "Data unavailable."

Professor Pine tells him, "Check the Myths and Legends Database."

Ash nods and presses a button. The Pokédex then shows an artist rendering of the Pokémon and says, "Ryusei, the Shooting Star Pokémon, and a Fire and Psychic Combo-Type. This mythical Pokémon is said to be the very first shooting star to ever fall to Earth in ancient times. It is also said that it watches over humanity, protecting it along with the two other Cosmic Guardians. Does not Evolve."

Orion commands, "Grunts, get that Pokémon!" The Team Planetary Grunts begin to move towards the Pokémon.

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Tracey also move, attempting to intercept them. Ash shouts, "You won't get Ryusei! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Pikachu leaps of his shoulders and launches its attack.

Brenda commands, "Kappaqua, Aqua Bomb!"

Tracey adds, "Scizor, Razor Wind!"

The three attacks all impact between Team Planetary and Ryusei, stopping the former in their path. Cosmo turns around and shouts at Ash, "Stay out of this you imbecile! You'll ruin everything!"

Ash grins confidently. "Yeah, that's kind of the point."

Cosmo shouts back, "We called Ryusei here with our Meteoric Shards, this is Team Planetary business! Stay out of it!"

"The Meteoric Shards that you stole!"

Orion shouts, "Enough of this! Ignore the kids! Get the Legendary Pokémon!" The grunts instantly obey and begin to move towards Ryusei again.

Suddenly from Ryusei a humming noise begins to emanate. It's its voice. Orbs of fire begin to manifest around it. They are then propelled at the charging Team Planetary Grunts, and explode upon impact. The grunts are thrown back.

Orion commands, "Immobilize it you fools!"

The grunts recover and all give commands to their Pokémon. The horde of Lunatone and Solrock use their Psychic attack to attempt to immobilize Ryusei. Before they can all coordinate their grip, Ryusei releases another blitz of fire balls. This hits several of the Pokémon, stopping them. The remaining attempt to assert their control with Psychic, but Ryusei continues to struggle. It releases a Fire Blast attack that disrupt several more.

Orion shouts, "It's too strong to take on like that! You have to grab hold of it all at once!"

Ryusei prepares another fire ball attack, but the grunts are ready for it this time. The ones with their Pokémon still standing command them all at once to use Protect. The combined barriers of the still standing Pokémon block Ryusei's attack. This gives the fallen Pokémon just enough time to get back up and recover. As the Protect barriers lower, all of the grunts command their Pokémon to use Psychic. It seems to work this time as Ryusei cries out with a desperate hum, and struggles to break free, but to no avail.

Pine observes, "That may be a Legendary Pokémon, and it's very powerful, but even it can't stand up to the combined strength of all those Psychic attacks!"

Brenda shouts, "That poor Pokémon, we have to stop them!"

Ash commands, "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Turcell, Ember!" Both Pokémon attack, but the grunts with Protostar have their Pokémon intercept the attacks.

Team Rocket has regrouped and is away from the action. Meowth says, "So that's it, that's the Legendary Pokémon."

James rubs his hands together. "And it's ripe for the picking."

Jessie nods. "That Pokémon is as good as ours. We'll just wait for the right moment, and then spring for it." James and Meowth nod in agreement.

Tracey commands, "Scizor, get through with X-Scissor!" Scizor dashes forward with great speed and knocks several Protostar out of the way.

Once that happens, Brock orders, "Meteorfight, Comet Punch!" Meteorfight runs in, gets past the Protostar, and delivers several rapid punches to several of the Lunatone and Solrock.

This lapse in concentration on their end seems to weaken their Psychic binding just enough for Ryusei to break free. Its eyes begin to glow yellow, and then all of Team Planetary's Pokémon are lifted up into the air by a psychic force. Ryusei then emits a loud and piercing humming cry. An explosion of psychic energy is released from Ryusei's body, hitting all of the Lunatone, Solrock, and Protostar.

Brock exclaims with surprise, "That was Arcane Blast, the most powerful Psychic-Type move!"

Orion seems fed-up. He shouts, "Enough playing around! Meteormight, go in there and do this job yourself!" His Meteormight leaps into the battle, lands behind Ryusei, and wraps its arms around it, holding it in place. Ryusei attempts to escape by increasing the power of the fire surrounding it, but Meteormight seems not to care about the added heat.

Cosmo commands, "Now, trap it again!" The grunts command their now recovering Lunatone and Solrock to trap it again. Cosmo further commands, "Strengthen the trap!" Several grunts throw Pokéballs, and release several Elgyem, which add their Psychic attacks to the fray.

Ash tries again. "Thunderbolt Pikachu!" but the Protostar are back to defending. Ash looks to his friends and says, "There has to be something more we can do. There's just too many of them."

Professor Pine shouts at Orion and Cosmo, "What do you two plan on doing!? This Pokémon was never meant to be interfered with by humans! You're tampering with forces you can't imagine!"

Orion laughs as if Pine was joking. "We are Team Planetary, and we get what we want! This Legendary Pokémon is part of the key to obtaining the power of the Cosmic Architect itself! Just imagine what good we could do with that kind of power!"

"You fool! Mortals where never meant to mess with the power of the Cosmic Architect!"

Cosmo shouts, "It does not matter what you think! You are stuck in the past, Team Planetary looks towards the future!" He looks to the grunts. "Grunts, capture it!"

Several new grunts run in. They carry with them some strange equipment, including a glass pod of some kind.

Oak shouts, "That looks like a machine meant to capture Ryusei, you have to stop them from using it!"

Ash shouts back, "We're working on it! Pikachu, Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu charges at the grunts holding the containment machine. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika-!" It is intercepted by a Protostar using itself as a Pokémon shield.

Tracey declares, "Let me try! Scizor, make it in with Quick Attack, then use X-Scissor!" Scizor, with a burst of speed, flies straight past the Protostar guards, and then prepares to use its X-Scissor on the machine, but before it can, it's hit by a Flamethrower from another Protostar behind it. This knocks out Scizor. Tracey grunts. "Scizor, return!"

At the same time, both Brock and Brenda command their Pokémon to attack as well, but they are attacked by a horde of Protostar that surround them, knocking them both out. They recall their Pokémon too.

The grunts set the machinery down and connect the pieces. The machine activates, and the lid of the holding container opens up. Orion orders, "Alright Meteormight, throw it in there!"

"Meteor!" It repositions its hold on the struggling Ryusei and then slams it down into the container. The lid closes, and the container begins to glow.

Ash shouts, "Ryusei, no!"

Orion laughs as if he's having a great time. "It's been fun kids, but we've got to go! Move out Team-!"

He's cut off by a mechanical arm flying in from behind, and grabbing the containment unit. Cosmo demands, "Who did that!?"

Jessie walks out of the shadows and says, "Prepare for trouble!"

James walks out next. "And make it…" He trails off and then asks, "Wait, didn't we just do this?"

Meowth calls out from the shadows, "Yeah, but that was last episode!"

James nods. "Alright, in that case make it double!"

"To steal Pokémon of legend and myth!"

"To make sure nothing is what you're left with!"

"To show that we are the original!"

"To show that copying is unforgivable!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

Meowth appears from the shadows. "Meowth that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Brock says, "I guess that's why Team Rocket wanted to help us."

Orion laughs. "Ha! You really do think that we're copying Team Rocket, don't you!? Hilarious! Outrageous! Take them down!"

Before Team Rocket can do anything, they are pummeled by the combined attacks of all the grunt's Pokémon. Their mechanical arm is destroyed first, then they are flung into the air and actually burst through the roof. They fly into the sky.

Jessie rages, "Those darn copycats! How dare they!?"

James shouts, "They're violating our copyrights!"

Meowth seems to be pondering something. He asks, "Wait a second, there's still one thing they haven't copied yet."

Jessie and James both ask, "What's that?"

"I think you know."

They all then shout, "It's that we're blasting off again!"

Back in the cave, Ash shouts, "Let Ryusei go now!"

Cosmo chuckles. "Or else what? We outnumber you vastly. We've already defeated your Pokémon, and we already hold the Cosmic Guardian." Meanwhile, Ryusei is crying out in its hum-like voice and trying to escape.

Orion walks over to the containment unit and taps it. He says to Ryusei, "There's no use trying to break out, that there device is powered by Meteoric Shards, its power equals yours."

Ash steps forward angrily and shouts, "You monsters!"

Oak puts a hand on Ash's shoulder and says, "Cosmo is right, there's nothing we can do about this. They have us beat."

Ash shakes his head. "No, I refuse to give up, for Ryusei's sake."

Orion looks towards Ash and shouts, "You should listen to the old man, kid! Stop fighting us, and we'll let you go unharmed. Keep on fighting, and I can't promise it will turn out well for you, or your poor Pokémon!" He laughs.

Ash clenches his fists angrily. Without saying a word, he recalls Turcell, and beckons for Pikachu to return to his shoulders. Pikachu reluctantly obliges.

Orion laughs. "Good choice! Move out Team Planetary!" Team Planetary heads forward through a tunnel, carrying Ryusei's container with them.

Cosmo leaves last. As he's exiting he looks Ash in eyes and shakes his head. He leaves.

Once they're all gone, Ash punches a wall and screams with anger. "I can't believe we just let them get away like that! How could we!?"

Professor Pine tries to calm him, "Hold on a second Ash, we never said we were giving up."

Ash looks up to him. "What do you mean?"

Oak explains, "I may have said they had us beat in that battle, but that doesn't mean we can't win the next battle. Professor Pine and I have a plan."

Brock, Brenda, and Tracey come closer. Tracey asks, "What's your plan Professor?"

The Professors grin. Pine explains, "We already know from what we heard them say before that they are also after the Grand Meteoric Shard."

Brenda asks, "What's a Grand Meteoric Shard?"

Pine explains, "Just like the Meteoric Shards, it's a fragment leftover from the creation of the solar system. However, it is much larger, and holds much more power."

Oak adds, "They were often thought to only exist in myth."

Pine states, "But of course, those same people said that Ryusei was nothing but a myth as well. There are three Grand Meteoric Shards, all of which are said to have fallen to Tenno in ancient times. They are supposedly guarded by the Cosmic Guardians, so that their intense power won't fall into the wrong hands."

Brock surmises, "So now that they have the Cosmic Guardian, there's nothing to stop them from getting the Grand Meteoric Shard hidden here."

Oak nods. "Exactly, so we'll have to stop them before they find it. This time though, we'll be more prepared."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**These Pokémon live in cold regions, forming groups of four or five that hunt prey with impressive coordination.**

* * *

A Venonat peeks around the corner of the cave. It says, "Venonat!"

Tracey follows it in and asks, "You say that Team Planetary is just ahead?" Venonat nods. Tracey pulls out a Pokéball and returns Venonat. "Thanks a lot Venonat." He turns and beckons everyone else to come. "Alright, Venonat has located Team Planetary, they're in the chamber ahead of us."

Oak nods. "Perfect, this should work just as planned." He turns back to everyone and asks, "Alright, does everybody understand what they're supposed to do?" Everyone nods. "Great, let's begin.

They sneak into the next chamber. There, Team Planetary has set up another operation. They seem to be searching for something. Each grunt is equipped with some sort of scanning device. In the far side of the chamber, Ryusei is contained in its holding cell. It's still struggling to break free, but to no avail. Orion commands, "Keep on scanning, now that we know the frequency of Ryusei's energy, we can easily find that Grand Meteoric Shard!"

Professor Oak sneaks a few steps forward from his hiding place and then makes several odd noises that sound like a high-pitch whistle. Within seconds Zubat begin to fly in from all angles. They swarm around Team Planetary, getting in their way.

Orion swats a Zubat out of his face and demands, "Where did all these Zubat come from!?"

Oak chuckles. "These caves are full of Zubat. The proper call can bring them out of hiding."

Professor Pine nods in approval and says, "Alright, now for the next step."

Brenda nods and tosses a Pokéball. Glitterfly comes out. She says to it, "Glitterfly, I want you produce the brightest Flash you can."

Glitterfly nods and shouts, "Glittererererfly!" as it generates a tremendous flash of light. Everyone covers their eyes. This light causes the Zubat to freak out even more. They fly around even more frantically.

Cosmo looks around at the Zubat. He shouts, "It's a trap, don't fall for it! Keep focus!"

Then he hears Ash shouting, "Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Pikachu leaps off of a Zubat and towards the containment unit.

Cosmo commands, "Foliage Fortress!" Buffern leaps in between Pikachu and the container, and blocks Pikachu's attack. Cosmo looks through the swarm of Zubat and sees Ash standing on top of a rock on the opposite of the room. He demands, "I thought you gave up! What are you doing here!?"

Ash shouts back, "You don't know me at all, I never give up!"

Cosmo gives a slight grin. "Neither do I. Buffern, use Razor Leaf!" Buffern sends its leaves at Pikachu.

Ash declares, "Block it with Iron Tail, then move in for an attack!"

"Chu, pika!" Pikachu whacks the leaves out of the way, and then slams Buffern with another Iron Tail.

Orion notices what is happening and shouts, "Meteormight, go help the kid out!" Meteormight moves to help Cosmo, but is suddenly intercepted by a Meteor Mash from Meteorfight. Orion turns to see Brock. Orion laughs and declares, "You must be brave to seek out another fight with me. Either that or foolish! Ha!" He continues to laugh.

Brock shouts back, "My Meteorfight wasn't through with your Meteormight!" The two meteor Pokémon clash again.

Now that Cosmo is distracted by Ash, Orion by Brock, and the grunts by the Zubat, the Professors, Tracey, and Brenda sneak across the chamber to the containment unit. The two professors begin to type away on a control panel at the base of the pod. Oak comments, "This encryption system is very advanced."

Pine nods. "Yes, I have never seen such an advanced computer program before."

Brenda asks, "You can still hack it though, right?"

Oak responds, "I think so."

Tracey looks around, seeing the Zubat swarming the grunts. He notices something in their behavior and says, "Professors, the Zubat, I don't think we have much more time until they leave. You have to hurry."

Pine says, "Working on it."

Tracey looks up to Ryusei and sighs. "I wish you were free so I could sketch you. It would be one of my greatest for sure."

Oak grunts. "They have security lockouts and firewalls everywhere."

Brenda encourages, "You can't give up. We need to free Ryusei."

Cosmo commands, "Buffern, Mega Drain!" Buffern begins to suck energy out of Pikachu. Pikachu cries out in pain.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, escape with Quick Attack!" Pikachu not only manages to get out, but begins to run at Buffern. "Now, Volt Tackle!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika chu!"

"Dodge it Buffern!" Buffern leaps to the side, and Pikachu's Volt Tackle misses entirely. Pikachu rams into a cave wall, and breaks a hole right through it.

Tracey takes another look at the Zubat, he notices the swarm is thinning. He urges, "Professor, we don't have much more time." Within a few moments, the swarm is almost entirely gone.

With most of the Zubat gone, a grunt notices what is going on. He shouts at Oak, Pine, Tracey, and Brenda, "Hey, you! Get away from that!"

This catches Orion's attention. He looks away from his battle with Brock to see the would-be hackers. He shouts, "Oh no you don't! Meteormight, get them away from there!" Meteormight, who is currently locked in a battle of strength with Meteorfight, suddenly hurls Meteorfight to the side and leaps into the air. It impacts the ground right next to the containment unit with Meteor Slam. The shockwave sends the Professors, Tracey, and Brenda flying away. Ash and Brock run to help them.

With Ash taking his attention away from the battle, Cosmo looks around. He notices the hole in the wall made by Pikachu. Behind it is another chamber. Cosmo walks into it. He immediately notices something on the opposite side of the room. It's a somewhat round rock, about the size of a soccer ball. It seems to glow faintly with an aura of energy. Cosmo smiles, obviously pleased with himself.

Meanwhile, Ash and friends have been surrounded by Team Planetary Grunts and their Pokémon. Orion walks up to them and shakes his head in disappointment. "You really are a foolish bunch. You really thought you could take on Team Planetary and win, even after what happened less than an hour ago. I'll admit that you're clever, but not that clever. No one is that clever!" He laughs.

Cosmo can be heard shouting, "Orion, I found the Grand Meteoric Shard!"

Orion looks back to see Cosmo walking through the horde of grunts. He cradles the rock he found in his arms. Orion grins and laughs. "I knew you had it in you kid! Great job! With a mentor like me, there was no doubt that you would." Cosmo seems displeased by what Orion said. Orion then turns to Ash and says, "Well, too bad for you. We have all that we need. We will be leaving now. Team Planetary, move out!"

Several of the grunts command, "Elgyem, Teleport!" Orion, Cosmo, the grunts, and Ryusei's chamber are surrounded by a blue aura and sparkles. They begin to fade away and a high-pitch humming can be heard.

Cosmo looks straight at Ash and declares, "You can't beat me. I hope you realize that now."

Ash leaps at Ryusei, but by the time he makes it, it's too late. It has already disappeared. Ash shouts in anger and frustration, "Cosmo!" He falls to his knees in despair.

After a few moments of silence, Brenda asks, "What do we do now?"

Professor Oak sighs. "I hate to admit it, but there isn't anything we can do. They could have teleported anywhere in the region."

Professor Pine adds, "We failed Ryusei."

Tracey walks over to Ash and offers a hand to help him back up. Ash takes it. Tracey says, "Come on Ash, you can't blame yourself, we did everything we could, especially you."

Ash sighs. He says with frustration, "This is the third time I've encountered Cosmo, and it's the third time I've failed to stop him. No one else in this region knows the truth about Team Planetary, so if I can't stop them, no one can."

Brock steps forward and says, "No Ash, you're wrong. This doesn't fall on you alone. There's me."

Brenda steps forward and adds, "And don't forget me."

Tracey declares, "We may not see each other much anymore Ash, but I'll always be there to help you."

Professor Oak adds, "And so will I Ash, my boy."

Professor Pine states, "I'm only a call away if you need my help Ash."

Pikachu nudges at Ash's foot. Ash looks down and it says, "Pika pi!"

Ash slightly grins. "You're right. Thanks guys."

* * *

**It's Weavile!**

* * *

They've made it outside the caverns. Pine says to Oak, "I'm sorry that we couldn't do any of that joint research I promised you Samuel."

Oak shakes his head. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure the opportunity will arise again."

Tracey says to Ash, "Well, I've got to go back to Pallet with the Professor now."

Ash says, "Despite what happened, it was great to see you again Tracey."

Tracey nods. "I agree."

Professor Oak walks up behind Ash, takes off his hat, and rustles his hair. "Well Ash my boy, make sure to call. I'll be very interested in hearing about your future Tenno exploits." He hesitatates for a moment and adds, "Especially anything having to do with Team Planetary."

Ash nods. "I'll stay in contact." He adds, "And make sure to say hi to my mom."

Oak smiles and nods. "I certainly will."

Tracey suddenly says, "Oh, and Ash?"

"Yes Tracey?" Tracey hands a piece of paper to Ash. "What is it?"

"It's a sketch I made." Ash looks at it. It's sketch of Ryusei. "I know it may not have been the best idea to sketch it after what just happened, but I couldn't help myself."

Ash nods. "I understand. And don't worry, this will serve as a reminder of what happened today. I will never forget Ryusei. In fact, I promise you right now, someday, I will rescue Ryusei from Team Planetary."

Oak laughs and says, "I have no doubt of that." He turns to Tracey and says, "Alright Tracey, it's time for us to leave."

Tracey nods. "Right." They turn to leave.

Professor Pine says, "I'm afraid I must be off as well. I'm needed back at the lab. Good luck you three."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all wave and shout, "Bye!" Oak, Pine, and Tracey all wave back as they walk out of sight.

_Yet another encounter with the ruthless Team Planetary has left our heroes devastated. It would seem at this point that their destiny is intertwined with that of Cosmo and Team Planetary. What could this mean for the future of their journey? Stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	34. Episode 34: Stop Bugging Me!

Episode 34: Stop Bugging Me!

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking down a path. _After battling with Team Planetary with Professor Oak, Tracey, and Professor Pine, our heroes are now on their way back from the Starstreak Mountains, heading to Starcore City, the location of Ash's next Tenno gym match._

Brenda asks, "So where's this Starcore City that Professor Oak told us about?"

Brock looks to the map on his Pokéssistant, then looks up and says, "It's not that far, the fastest way would be to use the Cycling Road that's not too far from here. After that, we'll have to travel through the mountain range known as Mt. Corona. Starcore City is located dead in the center of the mountains."

Ash then declares, "And that's where I'll be getting my next Gym Badge."

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pika."

They continue to walk, until out of nowhere a large tree on the side of the road falls in front of them. Ash and Brock leap back in surprise and shout with terror. Brenda, on the other hand doesn't seem to care that much.

After Ash and Brock have had a couple moments to recover, Ash, while still breathing deeply, asks, "Didn't that scare you at all Brenda?"

Brenda shakes her head. "Nah, I could tell right away that tree wasn't going to hit me. There's no reason to be startled." She looks at Ash and Brock for a moment, and then says, "I don't scare easily. It's going to take a whole lot more than that to scare me."

Brock walks up to the fallen tree and observes it. "I wonder what happened to cause this tree to fall."

Ash steps up to it and looks at it as well. "Yeah, that is kind of weird that a tree would just fall out of nowhere just like that."

Brenda looks at the point where the trunk separated from the stump. She observes, "It almost looks like it was cut by a manmade saw, it's a clean cut."

Then a Pokémon crawls up on top of the stump. It's a beetle-like Pokémon that's a couple of feet high. It's most prominent feature is its large mandibles, which are almost as long as its body. In addition, the two mandibles seem to look like two large chainsaws.

Brenda leaps back with terror and demands, "What is that thing!?"

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Let's find out."

"Buzzsaw, the Chainsaw Stag Pokémon and a Bug and Steel Combo-Type. This Pokémon is known for its mandibles that double as powerful chainsaws, allowing it to cut down trees with ease. It cuts down trees so that it can eat the woody interior, hollowing out the inside of the trunk in the process. Does not Evolve."

Brenda cries, "Eww! Get it away from me!"

Ash asks, "Wait, you're not afraid of bugs, are you? And what happened to not scaring easily?"

Brenda shouts, "I'm not scared of bugs, but that thing is just creepy! I said it would take more than a falling tree to scare me, and that's more! Get it away!"

Buzzsaw looks at her curiously. "Buzz zzzz zzzz zzz zzz?" When it speaks, it sounds like a chainsaw being operated.

This causes Brenda to leap back again. "Get it away! Get it away! Get it away!"

Ash walks up to the Buzzsaw and whispers to it, "Sorry about this." He then waves his arms around and starts shouting, "Shoo, get out of here! Shoo!" This startles Buzzsaw so that it turns around and scuttles away. Ash looks to Brenda and asks, "There, happy?"

Brenda, still recovering, slowly nods.

Nearby, Team Rocket is hiding and watching. Jessie asks, "Did you see that?"

James nods. "It looks like the Twerpette is afraid of that Buzzsaw Pokémon."

Meowth nods. "That may be the case, but what does it matter?"

Jessie shouts, "What does it matter!? It matters because we've finally found a twerpish weakness to exploit! Just think about it." In a rendition of Meowth's normal fantasies, Jessie imagines Ash, Brock, and Brenda walking down the road. "It's just another normal day, the Twerps are walking, as smug and overconfident as ever."

Meowth complains, "Hey, those fantasies are my thing!"

Jessie continues, "Normally they would repel any attack of ours with their Pokémon." A fantasy version of Team Rocket leaps out of nowhere, but Pikachu shocks them, causing them to blast off.

James complains, "Don't remind me."

The fantasy resets and Jessie continues, "Now imagine if instead we had that Buzzsaw on our side." The fantasy Team Rocket pops out again, but this time Buzzsaw is with them. The sight of Buzzsaw causes Brenda to leap back, knocking Ash and Brock back as well. "Once they're distracted we'll grab Pikachu, and there will be nothing to stop us!" Fantasy Jessie reaches in and grabs Pikachu. They then run away. "Then, once we successfully steal Pikachu, the Twerp will declare," in her best imitation of Ash's voice Jessie says, "Because of Jessie and friends I've lost Pikachu, not to mention that Buzzsaw!"

The fantasy ends. James and Meowth cheer. James declares, "That's a great idea Jess!"

Meowth says, "I like the sound of Meowth and friends better, but I know a good plan when I hear one! Let's get that Buzzsaw." Team rocket runs off.

* * *

Team Rocket is now the middle of the forest, looking high and low while carrying bug nets. Even Wobbuffet and Mime Jr. have joined in. Jessie asks, "Where would that Pokémon be?"

James stops for a moment and pulls out a deck of cards. He quickly searches through it until he finds the card he's looking for. He says, "According to this, Buzzsaw will try to cut down dead trees before living ones, so that way it doesn't hurt the forest. That means we should look for dead trees."

Meowth points to a large leafless tree in the distance. "That tree looks promising." They all run towards the tree.

Sure enough, sitting at the base of the tree is the same Buzzsaw from before. It looks to them and says, "Buzzz zzzzzz zzzz zzz zzzzzz." It then returns its attention to the tree and wraps it mandibles around it. Then it begins to rotate the edge of its mandibles and starts to saw into the tree.

Jessie looks to her net, but then tosses it to the side. She demands, "Meowth, I don't feel like getting my hands dirty. Call in the machine."

Meowth asks with confusion, "I thought we were supposed to try it with the nets first."

Jessie shakes her head. "No, bring in the machine."

Meowth shrugs, tosses his net to the side, and pulls out a remote control. He presses a button on it and the ground begins to rumble. Buzzsaw stops its sawing and looks in the direction of the rumbling. Pushing aside the trees, a large robot rolls in. It's designed to look like bug catcher boy, and carries a bug net in both hands. Buzzsaw is unsure of what to make of the machine.

Meowth presses another button and declares, "Automatic Bug Catcher activate!" The robot then swings one of its nets down at Buzzsaw. Buzzsaw's carapace opens up, revealing two wings underneath. It then leaps into the air and flies out of the range of the net.

Jessie shouts, "Catch it! Catch it! Catch it!"

Meowth declares, "Activate Turbo Mode!" and presses another button. When he does, several mechanical arms extend out of the robot's back, each one holding another bug net. All of the arms move to catch their prey. Despite this, Buzzsaw continues fly around them and dodge them all. It then lands on one of the arms, and activates its saw-mandibles. It then saws right through the arm.

James shouts, "What do you think you're doing!? That robot was expensive!"

Buzzsaw doesn't seem to care. It flies to another arm and saws it off. It begins to pick up speed and flies to each arm, sawing them off one by one. Within moments, all of the arms are gone. The robot falls to the ground. Buzzsaw stands atop the wreck and declares, "Buzzzz zzzzz zzzzzz zzzz zzzz!"

Jessie stomps the ground with anger. "How dare it destroy our machine!? You owe me now Buzzsaw!" In her fit of rage, without really thinking about what she's doing, she pulls out a Pokéball and throws it at Buzzsaw. The ball captures the Pokémon and begins to shake. Once, twice, three times, click. Jessie's anger instantly turns to confusion. She says in a questioning voice, "I just caught a Buzzsaw?"

Wobbuffet appears in front of her and cheers, "Wobbuffet!"

James and Meowth clap. James cheers, "Way to go Jessie! You showed that Buzzsaw who's boss!"

Meowth adds, "Yeah, and also proved I didn't need to waste time building that machine, but whatever."

Jessie slowly walks over to the Pokéball and looks at it. She shrugs. "I guess that works." She looks to James and Meowth and says, "We've got our Buzzsaw, now let's get Pikachu too."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**It changes into the forms of others to surprise them. Apparently, it often transforms into a silent child.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are continuing on their way. Ash tauntingly asks, "So Brenda, is there anything else you're afraid of?"

Brenda smacks him the side. "Leave it alone." After another moment she asks, "How could you not be afraid of that thing? It's the creepiest Pokémon I've ever seen."

Ash reminds her, "Yeah, but it's still a Pokémon in the end, and Pokémon aren't anything to be afraid of."

Brenda shrugs. "Yeah, I guess you're right. It deserves another chance. If I see it again, I'll try not to-" she then suddenly shouts in fear, "scream!"

Standing on the road in front of her is Buzzsaw. It looks up her. "Buzzzzz zzzz zzzz zzzzzz!"

Brenda leaps back in fear. "Get it away from me!"

Brock reminds her, "What happened to giving it another chance?"

"I take it back! Get it away now!"

Jessie steps out from behind a tree. "Prepare for trouble, you insulted my new catch!"

James steps out from behind another tree on the opposite side of the road. "Make it double, now you're in for a match!"

"To scare the world into devastation!"

"To frighten all people within our nation!"

"To startle the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend panic to the stars above!"

"Shocking Jessie!"

"Spooky James!"

"Team Rocket raises alarm at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a fright!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash demands, "What do you think you're doing here Team Rocket!?" He then whispers, "We're kind of dealing with a situation right now." He points back to Brenda, who is standing on top of a boulder on the side of the road, trying to stay as far away as possible from Buzzsaw, which stands at the boulders base looking up at her.

Jessie nods. "That's precisely why we're here. I'm the proud new owner of a Buzzsaw."

Ash demands, "Wait, that Buzzsaw belongs to you!?"

James nods. "You bet, and now we control it."

Meowth explains, "If you want us to call it off, then you'll have to hand over Pikachu."

Brenda shouts, "Just do it! Give them what they want!"

Jessie grins. "Best do what the Twerpette says."

Ash then says, "Or, I could just have Pikachu use Thunderbolt." He looks to Pikachu and nods.

Pikachu nods back and leaps into the air. "Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!" It unleashes its Thunderbolt and zaps Team Rocket, sending them flying into the sky. Buzzsaw realizes this and flies off after them.

While in the air, Meowth asks, "Wow, did we really not think about that part?"

James asks, "How could we forget about that?"

Jessie declares, "We just need a new plan now."

They all shot, "After we blast off again!" They disappear in a twinkle of light.

Buzzsaw desperately flies after them, trying to catch up. "Buzzzz zzzzzz zzzzzz zzzz!" It too disappears once it flies far enough.

* * *

**It's Zorua!**

* * *

Team Rocket falls from the sky, landing with a heavy thud on the ground. Buzzsaw flies in after them and lands on top of Jessie's head. It happily says, "Buzzzz zzzz zzzzz!"

Meowth observes, "Wow Jessie, that Pokémon really seems to like you. It's attached to you already."

James nods. "I don't know why it would like you, but that must be why you captured it so easily."

Jessie's eye turn upward, towards Buzzsaw. "Yeah, what is up with that?"

Buzzsaw happily answers, "Buzzz zzzzz zzzz zzz!"

Jessie and James look to Meowth, who says, "It claims that it had a lot of fun playing with our machine, and it wants to have more fun."

James says, "Alright that makes sense, but we still need to figure out a new plan to use Buzzsaw to capture Pikachu. What could we do?"

They all stop to think. After a few moments, Jessie suddenly proclaims, "Hey, I've got a crazy idea." James and Meowth look to her hopefully. "I'll bet that this Buzzsaw is a pretty powerful Pokémon. Let's use it to battle for Pikachu!"

James exclaims, "That might just be crazy enough to work!"

Meowth exclaims, "You're on a roll today Jessie! How do you come up with these brilliant ideas!?"

Jessie pats herself on the back, "It just comes naturally to me I guess. I'm a genius."

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have continued on their way once more. Brenda suddenly shouts, "Eek!" and runs into the trees on the side of the road to hide. In front of them is Buzzsaw again.

Ash sighs. "It's too soon to do this again." He looks to Brock and asks, "Would you make sure that Brenda's alright while I handle this? It shouldn't take too long."

Brock nods. "Yeah, I'll try to calm her down." He turns around and heads towards where Brenda ran.

Ash shouts, "Alright Team Rocket, come on out. And please, no Motto this time."

Jessie and James step out from trees like they did before. James says angrily, "Twerps these days. They seem to have no respect for the finer things in life."

Meowth comes out too. "Yeah, you should feel fortunate we grace you with such showmanship every time we meet."

Jessie then says, "Don't worry about it. We're not here to put on a show anyways." She points at Ash. "We're going to battle for the fate of Pikachu! You have no choice in the matter."

Pikachu jumps off of Ash's shoulders, and the two of them get into a ready stance. Ash responds, "Fine, we won't lose."

Pikachu adds, "Pik!"

Jessie looks back to James and asks, "What kind of attacks does this Pokémon know?"

James pulls his deck of cards back out and looks at Buzzsaw's card. "Ooh, try an X-Scissor!"

Jessie commands, "X-Scissor Buzzsaw!" Buzzsaw leaps at Pikachu and slashes its rotating mandibles at Pikachu.

Ash shouts, "Out of the way Pikachu!" Pikachu attempts to dodge, but Buzzsaw is too fast and hits Pikachu.

James says excitedly, "Alright, next you should try a Bug Buzz!"

Jessie nods. "Now use Bug Buzz!" Buzzsaw activates its chainsaw mandibles, creating a buzzing noise. This noise quickly gets louder and creates shockwaves. Pikachu covers its ears and cries out in pain.

Ash shouts over the Bug Buzz, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Pikachu manages to attack with a Thunderbolt, putting a stop to the Bug Buzz.

Jessie says with joy, "Ooh, I liked that one! Give me another one!"

James reads and says, "Alright, there's always Night Slash."

Jessie nods. "Great. Buzzsaw, use Night Slash!" Buzzsaw flies at Pikachu, with its mandibles glowing a dark purple. Pikachu attempts to dodge, but once again it isn't fast enough.

Ash grunts. "Come on Pikachu, we can do this. Quick Attack!" With its Quick Attack Pikachu is faster than Buzzsaw and rams it head on. "Great, now Thunderbolt!" Pikachu then unleashes its electrical attack and also hits Buzzsaw.

Now Jessie grunts. She complains, "How dare you hurt my Buzzsaw!? You're going to pay for that! Use Bug Buzz again!" The Pokémon begins to buzz again, and Pikachu covers its ears again.

Meanwhile, Brock and Brenda are off in the trees on the side of the road. Brenda is hiding in a tree hollow. Bock says, "Come on Brenda, you've got to stop this."

Brenda shakes her head. "No, not until that Pokémon leaves."

Brock then asks, "Think about it Brenda, why are you afraid of Buzzsaw?"

Brenda sighs. "Because of something that happened to me years ago. I was young, and exploring the forest outside my town, and I happened upon a grotto of rotting trees. I decided to take a look in one of the hollowed out logs. The moment I did, a Buzzsaw crawled out. And if that wasn't bad enough, once it came into view, ones from all over grotto started to appear. It was the most terrified I'd ever been. I ran to a nearby tree and climbed up it. The Buzzsaw all surrounded the base of the tree and watched me. I had to have been up in that tree for hours before they finally gave up on catching me. I'll never forget that experience."

Brock thinks for a moment and then says, "Wait a second, Brenda, Buzzsaw can fly and climb trees. If they were really after you, don't you think that they would have actually went up the tree to get you?"

Brenda looks up at Brock, unsure of what to say. She shakes her head in disbelief.

Brock then looks over to see Pikachu being immobilized by the Bug Buzz. He looks back and says, "Look out there, Ash is fighting that Buzzsaw and not doing too well either. He could really use your help."

Brenda looks up again, this time towards Ash and Pikachu. She sees that Pikachu is in intense pain from the Bug Buzz, and that no matter how hard Ash shouts a command, Pikachu can't seem to hear it. Brenda clenches her fists. She thinks back to her encounter as a child with the Buzzsaw. At first she remembers them sitting at the base of the tree she hid in, staring at her with mal intent. But then, after thinking about it for a few more moments, she realizes that her memories are incorrect. The faces on the Buzzsaw suddenly change to looks of curiosity. She gasps and says to Brock, "You're right Brock…I should have never been afraid of them." She gets up from her hiding spot and takes one last look towards Ash and Pikachu.

Back in the heat of battle, Ash is shouting, "Come on Pikachu, you've got to do something!"

Pikachu just cries out in pain, "Pikaaaaaaa!" and continues to hold its ears.

Team Rocket are all laughing. Jessie shouts over the noise, "This is great! I've always wondered what it would be like to have a powerful Pokémon!"

James shouts, "Yeah, we're going to be winners for once!"

Meowth cheers, "This might just be the happiest I've ever been!"

As if to ruin that happiness, Brenda can be heard commanding, but only just barely, "Kappaqua, use Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqua's attack lands right next to Buzzsaw, and the shockwave hits it, causing its attack to stop.

Ash looks over to Brenda in surprise. He exclaims, "Brenda, you got over your fear!"

Brenda nods, "You bet I did! Now's your chance Ash, finish this off!"

Ash nods back. "Right! Pikachu, use Thunder!"

Pikachu unleashes its mighty electrical blast. "Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" The attack makes contact.

Jessie cries, "Hey, you can't do that!" She looks back to James and Meowth and questions, "Can he?" They both shrug in uncertainty.

Ash grins. "You bet we can. Now Pikachu, Quick Attack!"

Jessie shouts, "Don't let it get close to you! Use Night Slash!" Buzzsaw attempts to slash at Pikachu, but Pikachu is too quick and easily avoids it. Pikachu then rams into Buzzsaw and knocks it back into Jessie, which throws Jessie back into James and Meowth.

Ash then declares, "Now to put an end to this! Use Volt Tackle!"

Pikachu begins to dash at Team Rocket. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika chu!" Covered by electricity, Pikachu rams into Team Rocket, sending them flying into the air.

As they're flying away, they shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Ash runs up to Brenda and exclaims, "You got over your fear and went up against Buzzsaw! How'd you do it?"

Brenda smiles and points to Brock, who is walking into sight. "Brock and I had a talk. He made me realize that there really wasn't anything to fear. Not to mention, you were in trouble. I felt like I needed to help you."

Kappaqua suddenly jumps up and declares, "Kappapapapapaqa!"

Brenda laughs and nods. "Kappaqua wanted to help you too."

Ash laughs too. "Thank you Kappaqua."

Kappaqua nods and says, "Kappa," as if to say "You're welcome."

Everyone laughs. Ash looks to Brenda and says, "Seriously Brenda, that's great that you overcame your fear."

Brock suggests, "Now that we've hopefully seen the last of Team Rocket for today, why don't we get back on the road?"

Ash and Brenda nod in agreement. They all walk off. As they're walking, Ash asks, "So Brenda, is there anything else you're afraid of that we should know of?"

Brenda shakes her. "Nah, I'm not afraid of anything now." Suddenly both she and Kappaqua jump back in fear, screaming. Brenda points at the Ariados that appeared in front of her and shouts, "Except for that!"

Kappaqua screams in fear, "Kappa kap!"

Ash, Brock, and Pikachu laugh.

_Everyone's afraid of something, just like I'm afraid of losing my voice. But sometimes, when we look deep inside ourselves, we find the confidence to overcome that fear. Stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**Make sure to check out the Cosmic Quest Official Website, as it now contains an exclusive Special Episode! This episode is the first in a series that will be periodically released, and can only be read there. A link is provided on my profile page.**


	35. Episode 35: Reduced to Double

**If you haven't already, make sure to check out the Cosmic Quest Official Website in order to read an exclusive Special Episode, not available on Fan Fiction. Don't miss it! A link is provided on my profile page, or you can just Google Pokémon Cosmic Quest.**

* * *

Episode 35: Reduced to Double

Ash, Brock, and Brenda continue on their way. Brock is reading something on his Pokéssistant. He seems intrigued. "Hey guys, listen to this. According to the news, only hours ago there was a major incident in Kanaveral City. Apparently some sort of vortex opened up inside of a building and swallowed the entire building before firing a massive beam of energy into the sky and disappearing. Now all that's left where the building stood is a massive crater."

Ash comments, "That's odd."

Brenda asks, "How does something like that happen?"

Brock continues reading. "Some Team Planetary official known as Commander Cygnus went on the record saying that it was an accident caused by experimental technology."

Ash shakes his head. "Of course it's related to Team Planetary. They were probably trying to build some sort of superweapon."

Brenda sighs. "I hope not."

_Today we find our heroes back on the road, and for once it would seem like they weren't the center of the action when it came to Team Planetary's actions. How bizarre._

They walk on. They suddenly stop when Brenda points to the sky and says, "Hey, look over there! What's that?" Up in the sky, in the indicated direction, what seems to be a giant chunk of ice has been flung into the sky. It hangs there for a moment, and then as it begins to fall, it is hit by a beam of light. Upon being hit by the light, the ice refracts it, sending multicolored light in several different directions. Brenda says with wonder, "Wow, it's so beautiful. We have to see what's causing it."

Ash shrugs. "I don't see why not. Let's go." They change their direction to head towards the source of the ice and light. They travel through some trees.

After traveling through the trees, they find themselves in a clearing. In the center of that clearing is the Pokémon coordinator Will. In front of him is his Cryogonal and a Helioptile. Perched on his shoulders is his Ravenoir. Will says, "Alright, good job. Cryogonal, switch out with Ravenoir." Both Pokémon nod. Cryogonal floats back, and Ravenoir flies forward. "Now Ravenoir, you use Dark Pulse, and Helioptile, you use Razor Wind!" Ravenoir hurls a sphere composed of shadowy rings into the air. Helioptile then sends several sharp waves of wind at the Dark Pulse. The Razor Wind cuts through the Dark Pulse, causing it to break apart into many different shadowy pieces, all which falls to the ground in a fascinating sight.

Brenda shouts, "Wow Will, that was amazing! What was that?"

Will turns around with surprise. "Oh, Brenda. What a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting to come across anyone this far out. That was me practicing for my double performance."

Brenda tilts her head. "Double performance?"

"Have you not heard the news yet? The next Pokémon Contest is going to be held at Starside City, and it will be a double performance contest."

Brenda nods. "That's great…but what's a double performance?"

"I guess I just assumed that everyone knew what that was, my mistake. A double performance is actually a method used at the Grand Festival. In a double performance, you use two Pokémon instead of just one, and that's for both the Appeal Stage and the Battle Stage. Because you have two different Pokémon to work with, there are many more options aviable. However, it also takes a great deal more concentration and coordination."

Brenda exclaims, "Wow, that sounds fun!" She then turns to look at his Pokémon. "Hey, that's a new Pokémon." She pulls out her Pokédex.

It says, "Helioptile, the Generator Pokémon, and an Electric and Light Combo-Type. The frills on this Pokémon's head act similarly to solar panels, allowing it absorb all of the energy it needs to function from the sun. Evolves into Helioptile with use of a Sun Stone."

Ash and Brock walk up as well. Ash asks, "So Brenda, are you going to compete in that double performance contest?"

Brock adds, "Starside City is actually right next to Starcore City, hence the name."

Brenda smiles and grins. "You bet I will." She turns to Will and asks, "So can you tell me more about these double performances?"

He thinks for a moment. "There's not much more I can tell you."

Brenda sags her head. "Oh…"

"Instead I'll have to show you." Brenda perks up.

Meanwhile, spying on them from up in a nearby tree, is Team Rocket. Meowth asks, "Did you hear that Jess? The next Pokémon Contest will be a double performance."

Jessie nods, pleased. "Yes, and it is primed for me to win it all."

James asks, "Why's that?"

Jessie grins. "Because I'll be using your Haking and having it teamed up with my Repiv. Think of how many times those two have been in battle together. They'll work together like bread and butter!"

James nods. "That is pretty clever. It could work."

Jessie thinks for a moment. "Now I just need another pair of Pokémon for my appeal performance…and I know just where to get them…"

Back out in the clearing, Will is ready to give Brenda a demonstration. In front of him are Helioptile and Ravenoir. "Alright, for this move I'm working on, I decided to focus on combining the opposite aspects of the Light and Dark-Types." He looks to his Pokémon. "Helioptile, use Solar Force!" Helioptile spreads its frills and absorbs solar energy. Then it releases a directed flash of light straight up. "Good, now Ravenoir use Nightstorm!" Ravenoir flaps its wings and releases waves of shadows. These shadows wrap around the focused light of the Solar Force, enshrouding it completely in the black and purple shadows. For a few moments, the attacks don't react in any special way, but then, out of nowhere, the light begins to shine through the shadows, creating a brilliant purple light. The attacks then explode and create a sparkling shower of light and shadows.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda clap. Brenda exclaims, "Wow, you're so good at this! I've never seen something like that before." She suddenly leaps up. "I'm ready to try it!"

Will questions, "Are you sure you want to just jump right into it? You might want to give it some thought first."

Brenda shakes her head. "Nah, I want to try it right now." She pulls out two Pokéballs and tosses them. "Kappaqua, Rabbolt, center stage!" Kappaqua and Rabbolt appear. Breda kneels down and tells them, "Alright you two, we're going to try our hands at a combination attack for a double performance. Just do what I say, alright?" They both nod in affirmation. "Great!" She takes a few steps back, and then takes a deep breath. "Alright, Kappaqua, you use your Water Gun, and fire it straight up! Rabbolt, you use Shockwave on the stream of water!" They both do as they're told. Rabbolt's Shockwave travels up the pillar of water created by Kappaqua.

Will nods. "It's a good start, but there isn't much spectacle to it."

Brenda shakes her head. "Wait, I'm not done yet. Kappaqua, stop the Water Gun, but Rabbolt keep on using Shockwave." Without a constant source of water, the pillar begins to arc and fall, dragging the electricity with it. "Great, now Kappaqua, let's give Will that spectacle he wanted with Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqua sends an orb of water up towards the falling electrified water. The two collide, the Aqua Bomb explodes, creating a shower of fine mist. At first, it seems like nothing more than this, but then suddenly a web of electricity is created between all the mist, with the remainder of Rabbolt's Shockwave leaping from droplet to droplet. The heat from this electricity causes the mist to evaporate out of sight, leaving only the electricity for a moment, then it fizzles out without anything to conduct it. Brenda takes a bow, her Pokémon do as well.

Ash and Brock clap. Will is absolutely stunned. After a moment of being speechless, he asks, "You came up with that on the spot, just now?"

Brenda nods. "Pretty much."

Will shakes his head in disbelief. "Alright then, it seems like you already have this down then." He thinks for a moment. Then he says, "You may have the appeal aspect down, but there's also the battling aspect. Why don't you and I have a double contest battle? It could be good training for both of us."

Brenda nods. "That's a great idea."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon frightens people with a creepy, sobbing cry. The Pokémon apparently uses its red spheres to absorb the fearful feelings of foes and turn them into nutrition.**

* * *

Brenda and Will have taken positions for a battle. In front of Brenda is Kappaqua and Rabbolt, and in front of Will is Cryogonal and Helioptile. Will says, "These two have never practiced in battle before, so this should be interesting."

Brenda says, "Then we're on equal ground. I've never had these two battle together either."

Brock, who stands midfield as a referee declares, "Alright, this will be a two-on-two Contest Battle, no time limit. In addition, this battle will go on until both of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle. Despite this, remember that it is in both side's best interests to make your performance as entertaining as possible. Are both sides in agreement?" Brenda and Will both nod. "Then battle begin!"

Brenda jumps on the first move. "Rabbolt, use Shockwave! Kappaqua, use your Confusion to guide the attack at both opponents!" Rabbolt releases a wave of electricity in all directions, but Kappaqua catches it with its psychic powers, and then condenses it into two separate streams of electricity, each aimed for a different Pokémon.

Will causally orders, "Dodge." Both Pokémon leap to the side, out of the way. "Now for a counterattack. Helioptile, use Razor Wind, and Cryogonal, freeze it with Deep Freeze!" Helioptile launches several sharp blades of wind, and then Cryogonal releases a breath of super cold air from its mouth. The cold air instantly creates a sheath of ice around the Razor Wind, creating several blades of ice. However, something else happens. The cold air spreads more than intended, and also freezes Helioptile. Everyone gasps. Being distracted by this sight, Rabbolt and Kappaqua are nearly hit by the attack, but they dodge last second.

Ash asks, "What just happened Brock?"

Brock answers, "The move Cryogonal used, Deep Freeze, it's a potent Ice-Type move that instantly freezes anything it touches. My guess is that Will only recently taught that move to Cryogonal, and Cryogonal isn't used to having to keep the move focused on only one target."

Will grunts and nods, but doesn't lose his composure. "You're right." He looks at Cryogonal. "You've got to be careful when you're using that attack." Cryogonal nods regretfully. "Now come on Helioptile, get out of there with Solar Force!" The frozen Helioptile begins to glow within the ice as it gathers solar energy. It then releases a flash of intense light that melts away the ice.

Helioptile turns Cryogonal and shouts angrily, "Op heliop!"

Cryogonal first tries to say, "Cryo…" as if it where apologizing.

Helioptile doesn't accept it. "Tile op tile!"

Will firmly commands, "Stop that right now Helioptile, it was an accident."

Helioptile doesn't seem to care. "Tiiiiiiiiiile!" It launches an electric attack at Cryogonal. This angers Cryogonal, which then attacks back with an Icy Wind. Helioptile leaps out of the way and attacks with Razor Wind.

Brenda asks, "What's going on Will?"

"I only just caught Helioptile a day ago, not too far from here. I've been training with it heavily, but it's still a little unpredictable." He pulls out a Pokéball. "Helioptile, return!" Helioptile leaps out of the Pokéball's beam and then turns around and runs into the forest. "Helioptile!" He sighs. "I guess I'd better go after it."

Brenda recalls her Pokémon and says, "I'll help."

Ash and Brock both say, "So will we."

Will nods in appreciation. He recalls Cryogonal and they all run into the forest.

* * *

**It's Misdreavus!**

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Will are walking through the forest. Will calls out, "Helioptile, where are you!?"

Brenda says, "It couldn't have gotten far. It must be around here somewhere."

Brock seems to be thinking about something. "Hmm…"

Ash asks, "What is it Brock?"

"All of Helioptile's energy is derived from solar energy that it absorbs. That means that if it has downtime, it will spend it basking. This forest is heavily shaded, so it's not an optimal place for a Helioptile. We need to find a sunny patch, that's where Helioptile will be."

Will nods. "That sounds like a good idea, but how do we find this patch?"

Brock realizes, "We'll use Ash's Turcell! Like Helioptile, Turcell consume solar energy, and have a talent for finding the best places to bask."

Ash nods. "That's a great idea." He tosses a Pokéball. "Come on out Turcell."

Once Turcell is out, it looks around curiously. "Tur?"

Ash asks it, "Turcell, would you help us out by finding a nearby patch of sun in this forest?"

Turcell nods. "Cell." It looks around and sniffs the air. After a moment of gathering its bearings, it turns to the right and walks off. Everyone follows. After walking for a while, Turcell leads them right into a small clearing. As soon as it walks into the clearing, Turcell lies down onto the ground, and begins to take in sunlight. It happily declares, "Turcell!"

Everyone looks around, Brenda points to a boulder off to the side. "Hey, look there!" On top of the rock, Helioptile is basking with its frills extended.

Will says, "Helioptile, there you are!"

Helioptile looks up and sees them. It quickly turns away. "Optile."

Will says, "Helioptile, I'm sorry about what happened, but that's why we train. By training, we find mistakes like that, and make sure that they don't happen again, especially in an actual performance." He pulls out a Pokéball. "And I'm not the only one who's sorry." He tosses it, releasing Cryogonal. "Cryogonal is sorry too. It didn't mean to freeze you."

Cryogonal floats over to Helioptile and apologizes, "Cryog…"

Helioptile slowly turns around, and then slowly nods. It reluctantly says, "Helio…" accepting the apology.

Then, out of nowhere, a glass capsule of some kind drops from the sky and captures Helioptile and Cryogonal. Will gasps, "Helioptile, Cryogonal! What happened!?"

Team Rocket's balloon lowers from sky. Jessie declares, "Prepare for double trouble!"

James continues, "Make it a double-double!"

"To protect the world from double the devastation!"

"To unite all people within double the nation!"

"To double the evils of truth and love!"

"To double our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at double the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a double fight!"

Meowth leaps up. "Meowth, that's double right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Will demands, "Who are these people!?"

Brenda answers, "They're Team Rocket, a group of villains who steal other people's Pokémon." Will gasps.

Ash demands, "Release those Pokémon right now Team Rocket, they aren't yours!"

Jessie shakes her head. "Not happening. I need a tag team of Pokémon, and this Cryogonal and Helioptile will serve me just fine."

James adds, "So it would be best if you twerps just head on your way and pretend like this never happened, because what Jessie wants, Jessie gets."

Meowth nods. "You'll never get these Pokémon back."

Jessie then says, "And just to make sure, go Repiv!" she sends out her Pokémon.

James throws his Pokéball. "Go Haking!"

Both Ash and Will step forward to battle Team Rocket, but then Brenda says, "Wait, let me try first. Let's see if I can handle two-on-two battling." She throws two Pokéballs. "Kappaqua, Rabbolt, center stage!" Ash and Will both nod and step back.

Jessie laughs. "You think you can take both all by yourself Twerpette?"

James laughs too. "You don't stand a chance. Haking, use Sludge Bomb!" Haking attacks with several shots of poison goo.

Jessie adds, "Reinforce its attack with Poison Sting Repiv!" Repiv fires its pins of poison, which fly alongside the Sludge Bomb.

Brenda commands, "Kappaqua, stop the attacks with Confusion, then Rabbolt electrify them with Shockwave!" Kappaqua uses Confusion to catch the attacks, and then Rabbolt sends pulses of electricity into them. "Great, now send them back!" Still using its Confusion, Kappaqua hurls the now electrified attacks back at the senders.

The attacks make contact, which angers Jessie. She shouts, "You won't get away with that!" Repiv, use Dig!" Repiv burrows underground.

James orders, "Cover it with Smokescreen Haking!" Haking covers the field with smoke, so that Brenda and her Pokémon can't see where Repiv is going to attack from.

Brenda grunts, but is unsure of what to do. She can see her own Pokémon, but barely. Both are looking around, attempting to anticipate the dig attack.

Jessie shouts, "Poison Fang now!" Repiv suddenly leaps out of the ground and bites down Rabbolt.

"Kappaqua, get it off of Rabbolt with Aqua Bomb!" The force of the Aqua Bomb knocks Repiv off Rabbolt.

Jessie says, "That worked well, let's do it again!" Repiv digs back underground.

James says, "You do the same thing too Haking." Haking releases another cloud of smoke, obscuring the battlefield once more.

Brenda says to herself, "I can't let Repiv get another Poison Fang in. I need to find a way to stop it before it comes out of the ground. I need to come up with something…wait a second, I know a combination that might work! Kappaqua, use Aqua Bomb all around the field and soak it!" Kappaqua does as it's told, and begins to soak the ground. "Great now, Rabbolt use Shockwave on the ground! Kappaqua, make sure to jump up onto a tree before it does!" Kappaqua grabs a hold of a nearby tree trunk, and then Rabbolt attacks with Shockwave. The soaked ground carries the current across the entire battlefield.

Repiv can be heard shouting in pain, "Repivvvvvv!" It then bursts out of the ground cries in pain for a moment, and then faints.

Brenda, not missing a beat, declares, "Great, now let's give Haking an electrified Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqua lands back on the ground and creates an Aqua Bomb. Rabbolt then electrifies it with shockwave, and Kappaqua sends the attack at Haking. It hits dead on, knocking out Haking. Brenda cheers, "Yeah, we did it! We won our first Double Battle!"

Kappaqua and Rabbolt also cheer, "Kappapapapaqua!" and "Rab rabbolt!"

Ash steps forward. "Great job Brenda. Pikachu and I will handle it from here." Pikachu jumps onto the ground in front of Team Rocket, ready to attack. "Alright Pikachu, you know what to do!"

Pikachu charges for a Thunderbolt, and then unleashes it. "Pikaaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!" Team Rocket is electrocuted and sent flying into the air.

As they're flying, Jessie cries in despair, "All I wanted were two new Pokémon for my appeal performance!"

Meowth says, "Hey, look at the bright side, that was some good practice for your double battle performance."

Jessie nods. "I guess you're right." She then declares, "From this point on, we're going to spend as much time training as possible! I will win that contest!"

James cheers, "That's a great can-do attitude Jess! But first…"

They all shout, "We're blasting off again!"

Back on the ground, Will compliments, "Wow Brenda, you did great. By watching, I never would have guessed that that was your first complete double battle."

Brenda grins. "Thanks Will."

Will walks across the clearing, to the capsule with Helioptile and Cryogonal. He finds a control panel, presses a couple of buttons, and the capsule opens. Helioptile and Cryogonal jump out happily. Will says to them, "I promise you both that we'll continue to practice until we get to the point where another accident like that will never happen." Both Pokémon nod happily.

* * *

They have all returned to Will's original clearing. Will says to Brenda, "I'm sorry, but we'll have to put our battle on hold. It's getting late."

Brenda nods. "Yeah, we should probably begin looking for a place to camp for the night. But we'll battle later, right?"

Will nods. "Count on it. If not before the Starside Contest, I can almost assure you that we will there. I hope you prepare yourself properly."

Brenda nods. "I'm looking forward to the battle, and seeing what your Cryogonal and Helioptile learn to do together."

She turns to leave, heading over to Ash and Brock who have already began to leave. They all turn to wave goodbye to Will. Will waves back.

_Now that Brenda not only knows the location of her next Pokémon Contest, but also that it will be a Double Performance, the future seems more exciting than ever for our heroes. The excitement grows, as the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	36. Episode 36: Solar Affair

Episode 36: Solar Affair

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are continuing on their way. They are travelling through dry and rocky terrain. They stop as they approach the edge of a cliff.

_ And now we find our heroes investigating yet another wonderful sight of nature. The beauty never seems to end when you're traveling around the world!_

They look down into a large canyon. The walls are all made of white rock that reflect the light from the sun. The canyon seems to stretch on for quite a while. Brenda marvels, "Wow, look at that canyon, it's giant!"

Ash nods. "Yeah, it's a wonderful sight."

Brock reads from the Pokéssistant, "It's called the Daylight Canyon. Because of the white rocks that make up the canyon reflecting light from all angles, the interior of the canyon shines like midday all day long."

Brenda points down to the bottom of the canyon. "Hey look, there are some Pokémon down there!" She's pointing at a group of Helioptile and Helioisk. "That's the same Pokémon as the one that Will had, Helioptile."

Brock nods. "Yeah, he said he caught his nearby. He must have meant here."

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "I've never seen that other Pokémon before though."

It says, "Helioisk, the Generator Pokémon, and an Electric and Light Combo-Type. Helioisk spread their frills in order to absorb solar energy. This energy is then converted into electrical energy that, in turn, can be used for many applications. Evolves from Helioptile with the use of a Sun Stone."

Ash observes, "That sunny canyon must be the perfect place for them to absorb sunlight to use as energy." He gets an idea. "Hey, I bet that Turcell will love it here." He tosses a Pokéball, releasing Turcell.

It looks around curiously. "Tur? Cell?"

Ash says, "Hey Turcell, we're at this place called the Daylight Canyon, it's supposed to be great for solar powered Pokémon like you. Lots of solar energy for you to absorb."

Turcell smiles. "Turcell!"

Brock suggests, "Why don't we head down towards those Helioptile and Helioisk. I bet that's the best place for Turcell to bask."

Ash nods in agreement. "Alright, let's go." They begin to move down.

* * *

Once at the bottom, they find themselves among a lounge of Helioptile and Helioisk. They lay about on various rocks, boulders, and outcroppings with their frills expanded to catch sunlight. Turcell looks around curiously. "Turcell?"

A nearby Helioisk hears this and opens one eye to observe Turcell. It lowers its frills and slowly gets up. It walks over to Turcell and looks over it. "Helio?"

Turcell greets, "Tur!"

Helioisk smiles and says back, "Helioisk!" It then pats Turcell on the back, and beckons for it to follow it.

Brenda smiles. "Looks like Turcell has made a friend already."

Turcell looks up to Ash, as if asking for permission to follow. "Cell?"

Ash nods. "Go ahead Turcell. We'll wait for you to get plenty of solar energy."

Turcell smiles and then runs off after Helioisk. "Turcell!" It follows the Helioisk towards a large boulder in the center of the Helioisk and Helioptile's lounge. Several other Pokémon are basking on it already. As Turcell makes it way over, many of the surrounding Pokémon open an eye or two to take curious looks at Turcell. Turcell just smiles back at all of them. Helioisk and Turcell make it to the boulder.

Helioisk points to an open spot on it. "Helio, helioisk."

Turcell nods happily in understanding. "Cell!" It climbs up onto the rock and lies down on the indicated spot. It closes its eyes and relaxes, basking in the warm sunlight directed at it by the white rock cliff walls. The Helioisk lies down next to it and expands its frills.

Brenda says, "Wow, that's so sweet."

Brock guesses, "They must have made an instant bond because Turcell and Helioisk are some of the only Pokémon that derive energy purely from the sun. I'm sure Helioisk and all of its friends are more than willing to share their sunlight."

Ash comments, sweating a bit, "One thing's for sure, there's plenty of it to go around here."  
Right as he says this, everything suddenly goes dark. Where the sun once shone, there is now a moon. All of the Helioisk and Helioptile look up and around with worry. Turcell is the last to notice something has gone wrong.

Brenda asks, "Hey, who turned off the lights!?"

Ash asks, "How could day turn into night just like that?"

Brock thinks for a moment. There's only one thing that could do that. A Pokémon using the attack Moonlit Night."

The Helioptile and Helioisk begin to run frantically around in circles. Turcell just continues sit, both curious and unsure about what just happened.

Brock points up to the ledge of one of the canyon's sides. "Hey, look up there!" Ash and Brenda look up. Standing on the cliff's edge is an Umbreon, a Dusclops, and a Sableye. Behind them is a pack of Mightyena. The Umbreon seems to be their leader, as it stands perched on a rock, above the others.

Ash exclaims, "Those Pokémon must be the cause of the change in light!"

The Umbreon looks back to the pack of Mightyena and commands, "Um, umbreon!" The Mightyena all leap of the cliff's edge and land down on the ground. They begin to lash out, attacking the Helioptile and Helioisk. The panic and chaos grows even greater as Pokémon run every which way trying to get away.

Brenda screams, "What are they doing!?"

Turcell is equally confused. It isn't scared at all, just unsure of what is happening. The Helioisk from before runs up to Turcell and urges, "Helio! Isk!"

Turcell questions, "Cell? Tur?"

Helioisk just shakes it head and grabs Turcell. It then turns to run away from several Mightyena running towards it.

Meanwhile, the Umbreon, Dusclops, and Sableye are laughing, apparently enjoying the sight.

Turcell struggles free of Helioisk's grip and lands on the floor, facing the Mightyena. It angrily declares, "Turcell!" and unleashes an Ember attack. The Mightyena instantly turn around and run away yelping. Turcell smiles, proud of itself. "Tur."

This shocks the Umbreon. "Umbre!?" It then commands, "Umbreon, umb!"

Several Mightyena stop chasing other Pokémon and turn towards Turcell. They surround it.

Ash shouts, "Turcell, get out of there, now!"

Turcell steps back nervously, but it has no way of escaping. It attempts another Ember attack, but this one is much weaker than the last.

Brock says, "Oh no. Without the sunlight Turcell is already growing weaker."

Ash shouts, "Turcell! Come on Pikachu, let's help!" He's just about to charge head-on into the pack of Mightyena when the Helioisk from before leaps into the circle of Mightyena with Turcell. It looks at Turcell, as if to say "I told you so," but it doesn't. It then unleashes an electrical attack that shocks the surrounding Mightyena. They all leap back. This gives Helioisk enough time to grab Turcell again and escape.

Ash urges, "Come on, let's follow them." Brock and Brenda nod, then they all run off too. The Mightyena don't chase after them or the other Pokémon now escaping as well.

* * *

Jessie and James are dressed in swimsuits and sunbathing on a large, flat boulder in the white-rocked canyon with Meowth and Mime Jr. Jessie says blissfully, "Prepare for sunburn."

James adds, "That's not a concern."

"To increase the pigmentation in my skin."

"To make sure it's those rays we're taking in."

"To denounce the evils of all that is warm."

"To soak in the sun like a Sunny Castform."

"Jessie…"

"James…"

"Team Rocket takes in rays at the speed of light."

"Don't worry about surrendering, we're in no mood for a fight."

Meowth adds, "Meowth…that's right…"

Wobbuffet appears and begins to sunbathe as well. "Wobba…"

Mime Jr., mimicking James' position, adds, "Mime mime…"

Suddenly, the day is replaced by night. Without opening her eyes, and not fully realizing what just happened, Jessie asks, "Hey James?"

James nods. "Yes?"

"Why did it just get colder?"

"I don't know Jessie."

"Alright then…" Suddenly the three Team Rocket members bolt up. Jessie demands, "What happened to my sun!?"

James says, "I don't know, I could have sworn it was just daytime."

Meowth suggests, "Maybe you two just took a little catnap."

Jessie says angrily, "You're the only cat I see around here! I would never fall asleep while so thoroughly enjoying the sun. Something's wrong here!"

James nods in agreement. "And we need to get to the bottom of it!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon has the power to hurl anything aside. However, trying to do any work requiring care and dexterity causes its arms to get tangled. This Pokémon tends to leap into action before it thinks.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have followed the fleeing Helioisk and Helioptile to the end of the canyon, where it closes off and the ground levels. The Helioptile and Helioisk all appear extremely sad. Now that they're safe, Brenda asks, "What just happened?"

Brock says, "If I had to guess, those Pokémon that attacked must live nearby, and being Pokémon of the night, they hated the light cast by the canyon. So they took control of it and turned day into night."

Ash says with some anger, "That's terrible, these Pokémon all need sunlight to survive, and that was their home. What are they going to do without light?"

Turcell walks up behind Ash and asks, "Cell…?"

Ash looks down to Turcell and says, "Don't worry Turcell, we'll help your friends get their home back. I promise."

Turcell smiles. "Tur!"

Brenda asks, "How do plan on doing that? We could try to help the Helioptile and Helioisk fight back, but without the sun they can't do anything. And even if we do defeat the night Pokémon, it doesn't mean they'll stop using Moonlit Night and allow the sun to come back."

Brock nods in agreement. "It does seem like a hard task. There's not much we can do about it." He looks at Ash to see him first look to Turcell, and then to all the other Pokémon all around them. Brock then shakes his head and says, "But who am I kidding? You still want to help them, don't you Ash?"

Ash nods. "These Pokémon are Turcell's friends, and Turcell's friends are my friends. We're going to help them."

Brenda asks, "So do you have a plan then?"

Ash shakes his head. "No, not really." He turns to Brock and asks, "Brock, I just know that if we can get the sun back, the Helioptile and Helioisk will have a fighting chance. Is there any way to neutralize the Moonlit Night attack?"

Brock thinks. "Well, there is Moonlit Night's counterpart, Sunny Day. If we had a Pokémon that knew Sunny Day we could return the light back to daytime."

Ash climbs up on top of a boulder and calls out, "Attention Helioptile and Helioisk!" The Pokémon all look towards him, but seem too depressed and out of energy to care that much.

Turcell climbs up next to Ash and declares, "Cell tur cell!" This gets their attention.

Ash nods at Turcell. "Thanks Turcell." He looks back to his audience. "All we need to do is get back the sun, then you'll all have the power to fight and take back your home! Do any of you here know the move Sunny Day? It's very important and may be our only chance to bring back the sunlight!" No Pokémon speak up.

Brock says to Ash, "Ash, Helioptile and Helioisk can't learn Sunny Day." He thinks for a moment. "However, Turcell can."

Ash looks Turcell, and Turcell looks back. Ash suddenly smiles and asks, "Turcell, are you ready for some special training?"

Turcell smiles and nods back. "Turcell."

* * *

**It's Machamp!**

* * *

Ash and Turcell are starting their training. Ash looks to Brock, who's standing of to the side with Brenda and asks, "So Brock, how does Turcell use Sunny Day? What can I do to help it train?"

Brock thinks for a moment. "I'm not entirely sure, but we'd better figure it out, and quick." He looks over to the Helioptile and Helioisk. They all seem almost completely drained of energy. "It doesn't look like we have much time to spare."

Brenda asks, "Hey, wait a second, if both Turcell and those Pokémon get their energy from the sun, how come Turcell is still able to move, but they aren't?"

Brock answers, "Turcell is better at storing surplus energy than Helioptile or Helioisk. You see, the inside of its shell serves as a rechargeable battery of sorts, holding on to all of the energy Turcell gathers. Helioptile and Helioisk have no such storage capabilities. Turcell right now is running purely on that stored energy."

Ash then looks to Turcell and says, "All the more reason to get the sun back as soon as possible. Let's do this Turcell."

Turcell nods. "Turcell!"

"Alright, so we're trying to use Sunny Day, so I want you to imagine the sun. Imagine all of it heat and warmth and energy. Imagine it all building up inside of you."

Turcell nods again. It then closes its eyes and begins to concentrate. "Turrrr…"

"Are you feeling it Turcell!?"

Turcell nods excitedly. "Turcell!"

"Great, then release it all, release it into the sky and call upon the sun!"

Turcell shouts, "Cell!" and leaps into the air. Nothing happens.

"Hmm…it didn't work. I guess we can't expect it to happen on the first try. Let's do it again Turcell!"

Turcell nods in agreement. "Turcell!" The two start the same process over again.

Meanwhile, their actions capture the attention of a Helioisk, the same one that befriended Turcell. It strains itself to get a better look. It asks itself, "Helio…?" It nudges the Helioptile next to it and points, saying, "Helioisk…"

The Helioptile nods. "Optile…" The Helioptile then gets the attention of its neighbor, which in turn awakens its neighbor. This continues to happen in a chain.

Back with Ash and Turcell, Turcell collapses with exhaustion. Ash urges, "Come on Turcell, we've got to try again."

Brock warns, "Ash, Turcell is using up all of its reserve energy doing this. I don't know how much longer it will be able keep this up."

Ash looks down to Turcell and asks, "What do you think Turcell? If you don't have enough energy to keep this up, we'll stop."

Turcell shakes its head and struggles to get back. It says with determination, "Tur…" It suddenly collapses again.

Brenda shakes her head. "It's no use. Turcell's done."

Brock suddenly asks, "Hey, what are they doing?" He's referring to the Helioptile and Helioisk, all of which have gathered in a circle around Ash and Turcell. They are struggling to stand, even more so than Turcell, but they manage.

One Helioisk, the leader and Turcell's friend, declares, "Isk, helioisk!" The Pokémon then all spread their frills, and begin to emit light from them.

Brenda asks, "What's going on?"

Brock is amazed. "They're all using the last of their energy in order to use a Flash attack!"

Ash nods in understanding. "Quickly Turcell, absorb their energy!" Turcell pulls into its shell, and the lets the light flow onto its solar panel. The Helioisk and Helioptile all fall to the ground, the last of their energy used.

Turcell comes out of its shell reinvigorated. Ash says, "Your friends just gave you the last of their energy, let's return the favor! Turcell, use Sunny Day!"

Turcell begins concentrate again. "Turrr…!" It then shouts, "Cell!" and suddenly a blinding flash of light is emitted from it. When the flash ends, it has not only become daytime again, but the sun is brighter than ever.

Ash and Pikachu jump for joy. Ash cheers, "Way to go Turcell, you did it! You learned Sunny Day!"

Turcell excitedly cheers, "Turcell cell!"

Slowly, all of the Helioptile and Helioisk begin to wake up, as they absorb the energy from the new sun. They all begin to cheer as well.

Ash looks to Turcell and says, "But that's only half of it. Now we've got to help them get their home back." Turcell nods. Ash shouts, "Helioptile, Helioisk, make sure to absorb as much sunlight as you can, the night Pokémon will probably use Moonlit Night again anytime now!" The Pokémon stop cheering, and start charging. Only moments later, the day turns back to night. Ash says, "Alright everyone, let's move now and get your home back!"

* * *

Ash and Turcell have led Brock, Brenda, and the Pokémon back to the canyon lounge. The Mightyena sleep in the moonlight all around. The Umbreon, Dusclops, and Sableye sleep on the central boulder. Brock says, "Good, they're sleeping, which means we'll have the element of surprise."

Ash nods. "That's great."

Jessie, who somehow managed to get right next to Ash without anyone noticing, asks, "So what's the plan of attack Twerp?"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all leap back in shock. They see that James and Meowth are also there. Brenda demands, "What are you doing here Team Rocket?"

Meowth answers, "Believe it or not, we're here to help."

James explains, "We overheard that you were going after those sun stealing miscreants, so we decided to help."

Jessie adds, "They stole the sun, and the sun is vital to my beauty. We're getting it back."

Ash, unsure of what to say, just says, "Alright then…um…why don't you three…"

Before he can tell them what to do, Team Rocket has leaped up onto a rock, and Jessie shouts, "Hey you! Wake up! Team Rocket doesn't like to be ignored! You stole our sun, and we're getting it back!" This wakes up the Umbreon and its partners.

Brock sighs. "And now we _don't_ have the element of surprise." They all sigh and then climb up to join Team Rocket.

Turcell shouts, "Cell tur cell!"

James leans over and asks Meowth, "What's it saying Meowth?"

Meowth translates, "Turcell's asking why they would go and turn day into night."

The Umbreon answers, "Umb. Umbreon on." It continues to talk.

Meowth translates, "We turned day into night because we were sick of you light-absorbing Pokémon. All day long you get your bright sunlight, and then during the night you create your own light with your Flash attacks. We never get any nice peaceful darkness. We've had enough of the light. It's time for the dark to cover this land for a change, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Turcell shouts defiantly, "Turcell!"

This upsets Umbreon. It begins to charge energy and then unleashes a Lunar Beam. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Turcell manage to jump out of the way in time, but Team Rocket don't. They're hit by the attack and sent flying. With surprise, they shout, "Wait, this isn't right! Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they disappear in a twinkle of light.

At this point, the Mightyena have all awoken. They rush into battle. The Helioptile and Helioisk do likewise.

Ash says, "Alright Turcell, let's help out your friends, Sunny Day!" Turcell does as it did before, but nothing happens. "What just happened!? Why didn't you use Sunny Day!?"

Brock guesses, "Turcell hasn't mastered the Sunny Day attack yet, it can't use it on command."

Ash grunts. "But without Sunny Day, there's no way the Helioptile and Helioisk can win." Ash looks around to see various battles. The Helioptile and Helioisk are already starting to run out of energy.

Turcell sees this too. It sees the Helioisk it befriended being hit by a Shadow Ball from a Mightyena. It angrily says to itself, "Turcell…" It then leaps forward, in front of the Umbreon and declares, "Cell tur tur cell!"

Brenda asks, "What's it doing?"

Brock answers, "I think it's challenging the Umbreon to a one-on-one, winner-take-all battle."

The Umbreon thinks for a moment, and then nods. "Umbreon." It looks back to the Dusclops and Sableye. They both step back. Then it shouts, "Breon!" and all the Mightyena withdraw as well. Now Turcell and Umbreon stand facing each other.

Ash steps forward, closer to Turcell. He asks, "Is that right Turcell, are you fighting for your friends?"

Turcell nods. "Cell."

"Alright then, let's do this."

Umbreon launches the first attack, a Dark Pulse. Ash commands, "Dodge it Turcell!" Turcell leaps up into the air, successfully dodging the attack. "Now let's use Ember!" Turcell lands and unleashes it Ember attack.

Umbreon leaps to the side, allowing for the attack to harmlessly pass it. It then charges for a Lunar Beam. Due to the full moon, it quickly unleashes it. "Umbreeeeon!"

Turcell tries to dodge, but it can't do it fast enough. It's a hit. Brock shouts, "Ash, you've got to be careful! Turcell is at a major disadvantage against a Dark-Type at night!"

Ash nods. "Yeah, I know. Come on Turcell, get up and use Rapid Spin!" Turcell does what it's told, and pulls into it shell in order to use Rapid Spin. It sends itself flying at Umbreon.

Umbreon counters by attacking with another Dark Pulse. The attack catches Turcell, and forces it back. Turcell slams against a rock.

Ash grunts. "Come on Turcell, we've got one shot at this! Use Sunny Day!" Turcell gets out of its shell and concentrates again. It begins to glow, gathering the energy it needs for a Sunny Day. Ash cheers, "Yeah, that's it!"

Even Pikachu encourages, "Pika pi!"

Turcell shouts, "Turcell!" but nothing happens. The light fades.

Umbreon laughs. Then attacks with another Lunar Beam. Turcell doesn't even have a chance to dodge it.

Ash shouts, "Turcell, no!" Turcell is slammed against the canyon wall, this time without the protection of its shell.

Turcell now looks badly damaged. It tries to get up, but then falls. "Tur…" It weakly looks around. It sees all of the Helioptile and Helioisk, now beginning to feel weak from the lack of sun. Its eyes stop on its friend.

The Helioisk looks back at it, and then stands up. It begins to cheer, "Helio, helio, helio…" quiet at first, but then it grows louder. All of the other Helioptile and Helioisk join in the cheer.

Brock says, "Wow, they all believe in Turcell."

Ash says, "Come on Turcell, we can do this, I know we can!"

Turcell tries to get up. It's a struggle, but it manages to stand. Once it does, it shouts, "Turcell!" Then it begins to glow white. Ash, Brock, and Brenda gasp. Turcell's shape begins to change. It grows larger. Sparkles appear all around it. The light then disappears. A new Pokémon now stands where Turcell once stood. Like Turcell, it is a turtle with orange skin and a red shell, but much larger now. It has a slightly longer neck than Turcell too. Where once there was one solar cell on its back, there are now several. It declares, "Turtsol!"

Ash says in disbelief, "No way." He pulls out his Pokédex.

It says, "Turtsol, the Solar Panel Pokémon and a Fire and Steel Combo-Type. Upon evolution, Turtsol's solar panels become much more efficient, allowing to gather even more energy from the sun. It has also integrated the metal from its solar panels into its shell, allowing it to become a much better defensive mechanism. Evolves from Turcell at level 16 and into Solurtle at level 36."

Ash cheers, "Yeah, you evolved into Turtsol!"

The Helioptile and Helioisk all cheer with joy. "Helio!"

Ash says, "Alright, let's try this one more time, Sunny Day!" Turtsol instantly releases a flash of light, and turns day into night.

This causes Umbreon to panic. It attacks with Dark Pulse.

"Use Ember Turtsol!" Instead of spitting embers, Turtsol releases a burst of flames, a Flamethrower. At first it looks like a normal Flamethrower attack, but then it becomes three times as large. Umbreon has no chance at dodging it. "Yeah, you learned Flamethrower too! That was no normal Flamethrower though."

Brock explains, "That was Turtsol's ability, Solar Power, activating. When Turtsol is in intense sunlight, it will absorb it and make its attacks more powerful."

Ash asks, "Wait, I thought that its ability was Blaze, what happened to that?"

Brock further explains, "It's been discovered that here in Tenno, Pokémon can actually have two abilities at the same time."

Ash smiles. "That's great. Now let's finish this battle Turtsol." Turtsol nods. "Flamethrower!" Turtsol unleashes another massive spew of fire. Umbreon tries to counter with a Dark Pulse, but is easily over-powered. Umbreon is knocked out.

Upon seeing this, the Sableye and Dusclops rush to its aid. Dusclops picks up Umbreon. It then looks to Turtsol, and then to all the Pokémon. It declares, "Dusclops dusc." The Mightyena all retreat. As do Dusclops and Sableye.

The Helioptile and Helioisk all jump for joy and cheer. One particular Helioisk walks over to Turtsol and pats it on the back. It says, "Helio, helioisk." It can easily be told that it was saying thank you.

Turtsol smiles. "Turt."

Ash walks over to Turtsol too and says, "That was great Turtsol. You evolved just so that you could help your friends, and it worked." Turtsol grins at Ash. "Now why don't you go and celebrate by gathering some more sunlight with your friends before we go?"

Turtsol happily nods and goes to bask with Helioisk.

_Today our heroes saved daytime itself. Thanks to a timely evolution, a group of Pokémon can now return to its normal life, free to bask in the sun as they please…ah, that must be the life…_

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**Make sure to check out Pokémon Cosmic Quest The Movie: Myoken the Guiding Light, which takes place chronologically after this episode!**


	37. Episode 37: Pedal to the Medal

**If you haven't read it already, make sure to read Pokémon Cosmic Quest The Movie: Myoken the Guiding Light, which takes place right before this episode.**

Episode 37: Pedal to the Medal

Ash and Turtsol are standing outside the area where they had camped for the night. Ash declares, "Alright Turtsol, Sunny Day!"

Turtsol concentrates and then shouts, "Turtsol!" Nothing seems to happen. Ash looks up to the sky.

_It looks like today we find Ash and Turtsol refining the newest move in their arsenal. You know what they say, a little training goes a long way._

Ash looks to Brock, who is cleaning up from breakfast, and asks, "Hey Brock, do you think that Sunny Day attack worked?"

Brock looks up to the sky. He shakes his head. "No, I don't think it did. This is only a normal sunny day, not a Sunny Day sunny day. The sunlight would be harsh if it was."

Ash looks to Turtsol. "I guess you haven't mastered that move as well as we had thought you had, huh Turtsol?"

Turtsol hangs its head regretfully. "Turt…"

Ash shakes his head. "No, I didn't mean it that way Turtsol. I'm sure that with continued training you'll master it in no time."

Turtsol smiles. "Turtsol!"

Ash looks over to Brenda, who is playing with a ball with Kappaqua. He calls over, "Hey Brenda, why don't you take this time to do some practicing for the Starside Contest?"

Brenda shrugs. "I could, but I don't see any reason to."

"What do you mean by that? You've never been in a real double performance before, don't you think that's good enough reason? Besides, you don't need a good reason to train. It gets you better, that's reason enough."

Brenda shrugs again. "I figure I'm good enough as it is. Remember, Will said that I was a natural. Don't you remember how I defeated Team Rocket?"

Ash is slightly confused. "Still…you might as well."

Brenda shrugs once more. "Eh, maybe later."

Ash shakes his head with some disbelief. "Alright…whatever you think works for you."

* * *

Meanwhile, James and Meowth are sitting on two stumps in a forest clearing. Meowth asks, "Remind me again, what are we waiting for?"

James shrugs. "I don't know. Jessie wanted us here to do something. But where is she?"

Then Jessie declares, "The wait is over, the beautiful Jessileia is here at last!" Jessie walks out from behind some trees wearing her Jessileia costume.

Meowth says, "Alright, that's great…but why are you dressed like that?"

"Because today will be a day dedicated to nothing but practice for my upcoming Pokémon Contest. No twerps, no crimes, no robots, just me and my Pokémon. You two will pretend to be judges."

James nods. "Great idea Jess!" He gets an idea. "Hey, I'll be Mr. Contesta!"

Meowth nods. "And I'll be Mr. Sukizo!" In his best imitation he proclaims, "Remarkable!"

James claps. "Oh, very good Meowth, very good!"

Jessie shouts, "Hey, I'm supposed to be the focus of your attention!" James and Meowth instantly turn to face her. Jessie grins. "That's more like it. Now, for my first performance, I call upon Repiv and Buzzsaw!" She tosses her Pokéballs to let out her Pokémon. "Repiv, launch your Poison Sting at Buzzsaw! Buzzsaw, you deflect them with Night Slash!" Repiv begins to fire its pins of poison, while Buzzsaw activates its chainsaw mandibles. It begins to slash the pins out of the air, causing them to explode into shimmering purple dust. This works for all of three seconds, then Buzzsaw gets overwhelmed and the Poison Stings start to hit it. Jessie shouts, "No! Stop it! That's all wrong!"

Meowth happily remarks, "Remarkable!"

Jessie looks at Meowth angrily. "Your job is to be a judge! That means you only say remarkable if what I do is actually remarkable! You understand!?"

Meowth cowers in fear. "Don't blame me, I was just staying in character!" Jessie gives him an evil glare. Meowth then says, "Alright, sorry…"

She instantly calms down. "Good. Now, back to the training."

* * *

Back on the road, Ash, Brock, and Brenda approach the entrance to a raised bridge with what looks like a toll station at its entrance. Ash asks, "What's going on here?"

Brock shrugs. "I don't know, but it looks like this is the only way forward. Let's go ask the guy in that building."

Brenda nods. "Good idea."

They all walk up to the window at the booth. A man in a security uniform sits inside. Brock asks, "Excuse me, we were wondering how to gain access to this road."

The man smiles, "This is the Cycling Road. You see, all the land up ahead is a nature reserve, so people aren't allowed to walk through it. So as an alternate route, a bridge was built right over it. It's a long walk though, so the bridge was made exclusively for cyclists. If you have bikes, then it's free to use. If you don't have bikes, you're out of luck."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all look to each other. Ash asks, "How are we going to get through? We need to get to Starside City, but we don't have any bikes."

Brenda remarks, "I have a bike, but I left it at home because I was afraid that Pokémon might damage it."

Ash and Pikachu look to each other and chuckle awkwardly. Ash says, "Yeah, given Pikachu's and my track record, that was probably a good idea."

Brenda questions, "What do you mean?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later."

Brock then says, "So our only option is to get bikes somewhere."

The guard suggests, "There's a bike store not too far away from here. You could buy some bikes there."

Brock nods. "That will work. Thanks."

* * *

The group is now inside the bike shop. There are bikes filling the floors and covering the walls. Ash declares with outrage, "What!? How could a bike possibly cost that much!? Do you know how many Pokéballs I could buy with that money!?"

The man behind the counter shrugs. "Sorry, not my problem. That's just how much it costs."

Brock asks, "Look, we just need bikes to get across the Cycling Road. We won't need them after that. Is there any way we could just borrow them?"

The man shakes his head. "No, I don't rent bikes, only sell them."

A young girl observing some of the bikes hanging on a wall overhears this. She has blond-orange hair and is wearing red athletic gear. She walks up to the counter and says, "But these are my teammates for the Bike Rally today. They really do need bikes."

Brenda asks, "What are you-"

The girl cuts her off and whispers, "Do you want bikes or not?"

The man behind the counter nods. "Ah, you are contestants. You should have told me that earlier. Yes, I do have bikes set aside for cyclists who are unable to transport their bikes all the way here. Let me get you three." He turns around and goes into a back room.

The girl turns to them and apologizes, "Sorry about that. I guess I could have asked first, but I figured you seemed desperate enough for a bike."

Ash says, "Don't worry about it. Thanks for the help. What did you mean though by saying we're your teammates?"

The girl grins. "You see, later today a special race across the Cycling Road known as the Bike Rally is being held. It takes teams of four to compete, and my team bailed on me last minute. I heard your predicament and thought that…maybe we could help each other out. You three race on my team, and you'll get your bikes to cross the road. What do you say? You can still back out if you want to."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda look to each other and nod in agreement. Ash says, "Sure, we'd be more than happy to help you out."

The girl says, "By the way, my name's Diane."

Ash smiles. "I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu."

Pikachu greets, "Pika!"

Brenda introduces herself, "And I'm Brenda."

Brock, having taken this long apparently to take a good look at Diane, suddenly takes her hand and declares, "Oh Diane, sweet Diane, my name is Brock, and I am your humble servant. Just ask anything of me, and I will come-"

He's cut off by swift uppercut to chin by Meteorfight, sending him flying to the other side of the room. Meteorfight looks to the others and simply nods, declaring, "Meteor." Before leaving.

The shop keeper returns, pushing a cart with three bikes on it. He says, "Alright, I've got your bikes here. Just leave them at my other store on the other side of the road when you're…" he notices Brock, "What happened to that guy?"

Brenda laughs. "Don't worry about him."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon runs faster than the human eye can follow. The friction from running is converted into electricity, which is then stored in this Pokémon's fur.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Diane have taken their bikes and moved out to a small dirt road near the Cycling Road. Diane instructs, "Alright, we only have a few hours before the race starts. In a normal bike race, we wouldn't stand a chance, no offense, because we'll be up against teams that have physically conditioned themselves for this race. However, that is not the only aspect of this race. It is also about how well you can work with your Pokémon while you're racing."

Ash asks with some confusion, "So we're having Pokémon battles on bikes?"

Diane nods. "Exactly. But there's more to it than just that. So we need to practice."

Brenda asks, "Do we really have to? I know how to ride a bike, and I know how to battle. I can't see it being that difficult to do both at once."

Diane shakes her head. "Even if that is the case, practice makes perfect. We need to make sure we have the best possible shot at winning."

Brenda shrugs. "Whatever."

Diane continues, "The rules of the race are simple. The course is divided up into four segments. Each segment will be handled by a single team member and a single Pokémon of theirs. While riding, it will be your goal to keep possession of a baton that will be secured to the back of your bike. Other teams will try to use their Pokémon to take this baton from you. If any team can't pass the baton to the next teammate at the end of the segment, that team is eliminated. Now, let's practice working with our Pokémon while we're riding our bikes. Sound like you can manage?" Everyone nods. "Good. Now, the final stretch of the race is the longest, most grueling, and most competitive. That's where things get really serious, so I'll be the cyclist there. You three will take the first three segments." Everyone nods in understanding. "Alright, now that that's all done, let's get some practice in."

* * *

**It's Electrike!**

* * *

A large group of people have gathered at the start of the Cycling Road. They all have bikes and are dressed to ride them. Groups of people seem to be wearing uniforms. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are now wearing red uniforms that matches Diane's clothes. They are also wearing red helmets. Diane says to them, "Alright team, we may have only just met earlier today, but I think we have a real chance at this, especially after seeing how great you all are at Pokémon battles."

Brock then asks, "Diane, there's one thing you haven't told us yet. Why do you want to compete in the Bike Rally?"

Diane smiles. "You can tell that this is more to me than just a hobby, can't you?" Brock nods. Diane smiles, reminiscing about times past. "If I had to give one reason, it would be my grandpa. He used to take me to watch these races every year. We had so much fun together watching and rooting for our favorite teams. Those were the moments in my life that I cherish the most. During one race I told my grandpa that someday I would compete in one of these races and win it. He told me that he knew I could. This is the first year I've been able to enter one of these things. I was actually quite upset when I found out that my team had bailed on me." She looks around at the three of them. "It means the world to me that you guys are helping. It really does."

Ash says, "Hey, you're helping us out too. Don't mention it."

Over a loudspeaker, someone announces, "Attention cyclists, after a last minute decision, there will be a slight alteration in rules. The first leg of the rally will now begin with dash period."

Diane looks horrified. Brenda asks, "What is it? What's wrong Diane?"

"The rule change, it works against our strategy. A dash period is a special segment of the rally used occasionally. It means that for the first half of the first leg no Pokémon are allowed, meaning that cyclist can put their complete and undivided attention in to cycling as fast as possible. It's a very important segment because it's possible to get a very significant lead from it."

Brock nods in understanding, "And our strategy was to have you go last because that part was the hardest, but as you're also the best cyclist of the four of us, you need to go first."

Diane nods. "Exactly. I'm sorry, but it's just too important for me to let any of you three do it. It needs to be me."

Ash steps forward and declares, "Don't worry, I'll handle the last segment."

Diane asks with concern, "Are you sure you're up to it Ash? The last segment is where everyone puts their most experienced and skilled cyclists and battlers. It won't be easy."

Ash nods. "I can do it. I know it."

Diane nods. "Alright then. It's settled. I'll move to the first leg, and Ash will move to the last."

The voice over a loudspeaker then declares, "Cyclists, take your positions, the rally will begin shortly!"

* * *

A member from each team has lined up along the starting line. Diane sits on her bike towards the middle. Ash, Brock, and Brenda each wait at different relay points along the road, watching the starting line via a screen.

A voice announces, "Alright cyclists, on your mark…Get set…Go!" All the cyclists instantly begin to pedal as fast as they can.

Diane manages to stay towards the front of the group. She's not quite at a top position, but she's close to it. She's putting all her concentration into her pedaling and the road ahead of her. The audience may be screaming like crazy, but she doesn't seem to hear it at all.

Even though she's far away and can't hear him, Ash cheers, "Come on Diane, you can do it!"

Brock declares, "Do this for me sweet Diane!" but stops when Meteorfight appears.

Brenda shouts, "Come on Diane, do it for your grandpa!"

Diane begins to make some progress, surpassing others as they begin to tire out. She thinks to herself, _Come on Diane, this is it! I've waited my entire life for this moment. I can do it. I can do it! _She speeds up slightly and pulls ahead of a few other cyclists. She is now the top four…top three…top two. She's competing with another cyclist for the lead position. Up ahead is a marker indicating the end of the dash period. Both cyclists notice it at the same time and only start to pedal faster. They cross the marker at the exact same time. They both then reach to their belts and toss a Pokéball up into the air.

The other cyclist shouts, "Go, Arcanine!" and an Arcanine appears and runs alongside him.

Diane declares, "Let's do this Dodrio!" and a Dodrio now runs alongside Diane.

The opposing cyclist makes the first attack. "Arcanine, use Flamethrower!" It launches a torrent of flames at Dodrio.

"Leap on to it and use Drill Peck!" Dodrio jumps and then lands on Arcanine's back. Each of its heads then peck at it successively.

"Get it off you! Flare Blitz!" Arcanine becomes cloaked in fire, which immediately forces Dodrio to leap off of it. Arcanine then rams into the grounded Dodrio, causing it to fall slightly behind. The opponent smiles. "Good, now fetch her baton!" Arcanine drops behind Diane's bike and starts to run faster catch up. It's aiming for a small red rod attached to the back of Diane's seat.

Diane shouts, "Dodrio, you've got to stop it!" Arcanine is just about to use its mouth to grab the baton when Dodrio catches up from behind and attacks with a Fury Attack, causing Arcanine to bark with pain and fall slightly back. Diane looks ahead and sees the relay point up ahead. Brock is waving to her. She says to herself, "Just a little more to go." She looks behind her to see that Dodrio is now standing between her and Arcanine, protecting her baton. With that, she's free to focus on picking up speed. She pedals faster.

After a few more moments, she skids to a stop as she makes it to the relay point. She hops off her bike, pulls off the baton, and hands it to Brock. "Good luck."

Brock nods. "Thanks." He attaches the baton to the back of his seat and begins to pedal. The other team has done this too. Also, a new team is catching up, just now pulling into the relay point. Brock and the opposing team pedal out. Brock throws his Pokéball. "Go, Meteorfight!" Meteorfight keeps up with him by pulling its limbs into its body and floating alongside Brock.

The other cyclist throws his. "Go, Ninjask! Use X-Scissor!" Ninjask flies at Meteorfight and slashes at it with its claws. Meteorfight just manages to dodge it.

"Great Meteorfight! Get it off your tail now with Meteor Slam!" Meteorfight rams its self into Ninjask with the full force of its weight.

Suddenly from behind, someone orders, "Lucario use Double Team to grab both of their batons!" Brock and his opponent look back with surprise. A Lucario and its trainer are catching up from behind. The Lucario multiplies itself with Double Team and continues to gain on both cyclists.

Brock and the Ninjask's trainer look back with surprise. Brock quickly commands, "Stop it Meteorfight!" Meteorfight rams itself into the phantom Lucario, causing it to vanish.

The Ninjask cyclist tries to have Ninjask stop it too, but this time Lucario is prepared and leaps over it, landing right behind the bike. It snatches the baton and then leaps back to return to its trainer. It hands over the baton to the cyclist.

As soon as the baton reaches the cyclist's hands, the announcer declares, "And Team Six has been eliminated from the rally!" The Ninjask cyclist rides off to the side in defeat.

The Lucario's trainer casts the baton aside and shouts, "That leaves you and me buddy!" to Brock. "Let's grab his baton too Lucario!" Lucario begins to run towards Brock.

Brock looks ahead. The relay point and Brenda are now in sight. Brock encourages, "Just a little more to go Meteorfight, you've got to hold off Lucario with Meteor Slam!" Meteorfight turns towards Lucario and rams itself at it. Lucario simply steps to the side and avoids it. Meteorfight tries to come at it from behind, but Lucario just dodges it once more. Brock says, "Meteorfight isn't maneuverable enough to manage a hit." Lucario's catching up. "Wait a second, the relay point is just ahead, all we need to do is stall! Meteorfight, on the ground now! Use Comet Punch!"

Meteorfight manages to make it in between Brock and Lucario, it then lands on the ground, extending its limbs. Its runs at Lucario for a Comet Punch. Now that it has more control of its movements, it lands a rapid series of punches, holding Lucario back. Meteorfight may be falling behind too, but Brock makes it to the relay point, so it doesn't matter. He hops off the bike, grabs the baton, and runs it to Brenda. The Lucario's trainer does the same, as well as one other trainer that was right behind him. Brock hands the baton to Brenda. "You can do this Brenda."

Brenda grabs it. "I will." She traps it to her bike and takes off. She tosses a Pokéball. "Let's go Glitterfly!" Glitterfly appears and flies alongside her. The two cyclists behind her send out a Pidgeot and a Linoone

One commands, "Linoone, Fury Swipes!"

The other commands, "Pidgeot, Wing Attack!"

Brenda looks back and realizes that both attacks are aimed at Glitterfly. "Why are you both attacking me!? Glitterfly, keep them away from you with Flash!" Brenda closes her eyes as Glitterfly creates an intense flash of light, stunning the two attacking Pokémon and their trainers, causing them to fall back. The only problem, with her eyes closed, Brenda veers off to the side, causing her to slow down. Several other cyclists all doing battle amongst themselves pass her by. Brenda opens her eyes and realizes what just happened. "Darn it, I thought that would work out better." She starts to pedal as fast as she can to catch up, but can't go fast enough.

She then hears from behind her, "Linoone, try your Fury Swipes again!" She looks back to see the Linoone cyclist has almost caught up with her.

"Glitterfly, try a Signal Beam this time!" As Linoone is leaping at Glitterfly, Glitterfly knocks it back with a well-aimed Signal Beam. "Great shot Glitterfly! Now, why don't we take their baton while we're at it?" Glitterfly dives down onto the cyclist. Linoone tries to stop it, but Glitterfly stops it with another Signal Beam. It then grabs the baton off the back the bike and flies to catch up with Brenda. It drops the baton and Brenda catches it. ""Great job Glitterfly!"

It's announced, "Team Fifteen has been eliminated!"

As this is being said, Brenda is pulling into the relay point. She hands her baton to Ash and apologizes, "I'm sorry Ash, I lost us first place."

Ash shakes his head. "No worries, you did your best." He hands Pikachu to her. "Watch Pikachu for me, alright?" Brenda nods. Ash hops on to his bike and pedals out. He throws his Pokéball. "Dashilisk, I choose you!"

Dashilisk appears and cheers, "Dashi dash!" as it runs happily alongside Ash with its awkward gait.

The announcer declares, "And the leading teams are now entering the final stretch of the relay! This stretch is the longest section, so we're sure to see some intense action in this stage!"

Ash says, "Come on Dashilisk, we've got to catch up with the team ahead of us. We've got to win this for Diane!"

Dashilisk nods and begins to run faster. It pulls ahead of Ash. Ash pedals his hardest and picks up speed too. They begin to catch up with another team. It's a cyclist and her Scyther. Ash grins. "Let's try this out. Dashilisk, Scald!" Dashilisk launches a stream of steaming water at the Scyther, catching it off guard.

The cyclist looks back to Ash and orders, "Scyther, knock it back with Razor Wind!" Scyther launches several sharp blades of wind at Dashilisk.

"Dodge it Dashilisk!" Dashilisk, almost as if it were dancing, manages to jump over and duck under each of the attacks without reducing its speed. "Great, now get in close with Aqua Jet!" Dashilisk covers itself with water and flies towards the back of the cyclist's bike. It lands, grabs the baton, and then runs back to Ash, giving it to him. Ash takes it, and the opposing cyclist is eliminated. "Great job Dashilisk, now there's only three teams ahead of us." Without a battle to focus on, Ash and Dashilisk speed up again.

Diane is watching from the relay point. "Come on, Ash, you can do this. You can do it, you can win." Brock, Brenda, and Pikachu are all watching with anticipation too.

Up ahead of him, Ash sees two of the remaining teams that are ahead of him. They are tied and locked in a battle between a Manectric and a Rapidash. Ash grins. "I've got an idea." He and Dashilisk speed up even more.

The Manectric and Rapidash trade a Thunder for a Flamethrower. Once the two attacks subside, Ash suddenly pulls up between them. He waves to both cyclists. "Hey guys."

They both look at Ash angrily and order their Pokémon to get his baton at the same time. They both leap at his bike. Ash suddenly slows down, causing the Pokémon to lunge into each other. The cyclists then get caught up in this too and fall off their bikes. Ash and Dashilisk go around them and continue on their way.

Ash says triumphantly, "Three down, one to go."

Dashilisk cheers, "Dashi!" They get up to speed once more.

After a few more moments of racing forward, Ash notices something ahead, it's the final team, a cyclist with an Accelgor. "Alright Dashilisk, that's them! We can do this!"

Diane watching on a screen seems to think differently. She shakes her head with disappointment. "That team has nearly made it to the end. There's no way Ash will ever catch up with them before they reach the finish line. So much for winning it this year…"

Ash realizes this too as the finish line comes into sight. The team has almost made it. "We can't give up Dashilisk. This may look hopeless, but Diane needs us to come through for her. She's helping us, so the least we can do is win this for her!" Dashilisk nods in agreement. Ash, while pedaling as hard as he can, is trying his best to think up a plan. He suddenly realizes, "Wait a second! We don't need to outrace them, all we need to do is out-battle them!" He looks to Dashilisk. "This is all up to you Dashilisk. You need to use your Extreme Speed to catch up with them and get that baton." Dashilisk nods in understanding. "Go Dashilisk, go!"

"Dash dash!" Dashilisk begins to run even faster as it leaves a trail of white light behind it. It begins to gain on the team ahead.

The cyclist of that team looks back and sees Dashilisk heading at it. He says, "Ha, just a lone Pokémon? Without the trainer there's no way they can eliminate us. Keep on moving Accelgor." Accelgor nods. Meanwhile though, Dashilisk has almost caught up. The cyclist orders, "Now, stop it with Acid Spray!" Accelgor launches a spray of purple acid at Dashilisk.

Dashilisk ducks underneath it to dodge. It then slashes at Accelgor with a Dragon Claw. The attack lands, causing Accelgor to fall back.

The cyclist looks forward to see the finish line just ahead. He stops worrying about Dashilisk and Accelgor and just pedals at full speed towards it. Dashilisk manages to catch up with the bike and grabs the baton. The cyclist laughs, "Ha, a lot of good that's going to do without your trainer! I'm not eliminated until the baton is in his hands."

That's when Ash shouts from behind, "Alright Dashilisk, throw it!" Dashilisk throws the baton to Ash. The cyclist has nearly crossed the finish line.

Time seems to slow down. The baton tumbles through the air towards Ash. The cyclist makes it closer and closer to the finish line. Diane, Brock, Brenda, and Pikachu all watch in silence. Diane has her fists clenched in front of her and is biting her lip in anticipation.

The baton continues to tumble, the cyclist has nearly crossed the finish line. Ash reaches up to catch it. The baton enters his hands, the cyclist crosses the finish line. Time returns to normal.

Diane waits nervously for the verdict. After an intense moment, the announcer declares, "Team two was eliminated before they crossed the finish line! This race isn't over yet!"

Diane cheers, "Yes! Go Ash, go Ash!"

Brock cheers, "Way to go!"

Brenda cheers, "You can do it now!"

Pikachu adds, "Pik pikachu!"

Ash continues to bike forward at full speed. Dashilisk returns to his side. Together the two of them sail past the finish line. The audience erupts in applause.

Diane is ecstatic. She jumps up and down with joy. "We won! We won! We actually won! Grandpa, we won!"

* * *

In the awards ceremony, Diane, Ash, Brock, and Brenda are standing on a podium. A gold medal is handed to Ash by a race official. He says, "It is my honor to present you with this year's Bike Rally first place medal. Congratulations on your victory." The audience surrounding them cheers.

Ash turns to Diane and says, "I think I know who really deserves this medal."

Diane shakes her head. "No, you keep it. It's because of you that we won."

Ash shakes his head. "No, that's not true. It was the big lead you gave us in the beginning that allowed us to win, not to mention all the training and advice you gave us. Besides, this was your dream, not mine." He places the medal around her neck, she reluctantly accepts it.

A tear comes to Diane's eye. "Thank you so much guys. I know that I'm just some stranger, but you three just made this stranger's lifelong dream come true."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all smile.

_Today sure was productive, as our heroes not only crossed one of the many obstacles on their long journey, but also helped a new friend follow her dreams. But they're not the only ones who had a productive day…_

* * *

Team Rocket is still in the same forest clearing. It's now sunset. James and Meowth are clapping. Meowth declares, "Absolutely remarkable! And I mean it this time!"

Jessie takes a bow. "Thank you so much."

James exclaims, "With all this training, you're a shoe-in to win the Starside Contest!"

Jessie grins with anticipation. "Starside City, prepare to be taken by storm, for Princess Jessileia is on her way!"

**To Be Continued…**


	38. Episode 38: Pikachu, Where are You?

Episode 38: Pikachu, Where Are You!?

It's nighttime. A group of people in a park of a city have gathered around someone in a crowd. The person they are watching is man wearing suit and tie. He also wears some sort of earpiece to a communication device of some kind. In front of him is a Dusklops. The man declares, "Alright, for my next performance I will be demonstrating a feat of stunning skill and beauty. Dusklops, use Will-O-Wisp!" Dusklops summons several orbs of blue fire. They begin to dance and flutter in circles around Dusklops. The audience oohs and ahhs.

Suddenly, someone screams and points up to the sky. They shout, "It's back, the Wraith has returned!" Descending from the sky is a giant Dusknoir. People begin to run and scream.

The man with the Dusklops shouts, "So you have returned, this time for my Pokémon have you!? I won't let you without a fight! Dusklops, use Shadow Ball!"

"Dusk!" The Pokémon attacks with an orb shadows that is sent flying at the behemoth of a Pokémon. The attack dissipates harmlessly upon impact.

The giant Dusknoir then makes a piercing shrieking noise. It opens the mouth on its chest, revealing an orb of darkness inside of it. The orb begins to suck in everything around it. Dusklops is pulled off its feet and towards the orb.

The trainer shouts, "Dusklops, no!" Dusklops disappears inside the giant Pokémon, and the Pokémon closes its mouth and flies back into the sky. The man shouts, "Curse you Wraith!"

* * *

It's now morning. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are strolling into a city. Brenda asks, "So is this it? Is this Starside City?"

Brock nods. "It sure is."

Brenda cheers, "Yay!"

_Having finally arrived in Starside City, site of Brenda's next Pokémon Contest and first double performance, our heroes are ready for whatever is coming their way, or at least that's what they think._

Ash points up ahead. "Hey, what's going on over there?" He's pointing to the park where events of the previous night transpired. There's a crowd of people watching from outside a perimeter and a several police officers investigating the area. They all run to the park and push their way through the crowd until they make it up to the police perimeter.

Brock says, "It looks like a crime occurred here."

A voice from behind him declares, "That's a brilliant deduction."

Brock turns around to see that an Officer Jenny has said this. He instantly declares in his dream-like state, "Thank you Jenny, thank you so much. If you would allow me to make another deduction, you are the most beautiful woman I have ever-"

His proclamation of love is cut short by an uppercut from Meteorfight. Brock is sent flying.

Ash asks, "Officer Jenny, what happened here?"

She corrects, "That's Detective Jenny. I specialize in solving Pokémon-related crimes."

Ash nods. "Sorry. Detective Jenny, what happened here?"

A voice says, "Allow me to answer that." Everyone turns to the right to see the trainer from the previous night approach them. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Malcolm, Pokémon Coordinator extraordinaire." He looks off into the park. "I'm afraid that last night I was the latest victim of the Wraith. I had come here all the way from the Hoenn Region to participate in this contest and show of the beauty of my Dusklops to the folks of Tenno, but it was snatched away last night by that awful Wraith. It was the most terrified I've been since the time I almost drowned as a child."

Brenda asks, "The Wraith, what's that?"

Detective Jenny answers, "It's a giant Dusknoir that's been stealing Pokémon here for the past several weeks. With all the coordinators here for the Pokémon Contest it's been worse than ever the past several days."

Ash shivers with fear. "A giant Dusknoir? There's no way that exists, right?"

Pikachu adds, "Pika?"

Another voice says, "I'm afraid that it is very real." Everyone looks towards the new voice to see Mr. Contesta, the Pokémon Contest judge and Contest Director. "And if these attacks continue, I'm going to have to call this year's Starside Contest off. It's too dangerous."

Brenda objects, "But Mr. Contesta, you can't cancel the Pokémon Contest. There are so many coordinators like me who are counting on this contest to get their next ribbon. Think about how sad they'll all be if this contest is cancelled."

Mr. Contesta shrugs. "I don't know. I wish I didn't have to, but I can't have more Pokémon being stolen. If someone could catch this Wraith before tomorrow, then maybe it could go on."

Jenny then declares, "Don't worry Mr. Contesta, you've got the best detective in Tenno on this case. I'll take care of your ghost problem."

Brock, apparently having heard all of this, suddenly appears and declares, "And we'll help too Jenny."

Jenny nods. "I'd be glad to have your help."

Mr. Contesta nods. "Thank you kids. The fate of the Starside Contest is in your hands."

Malcolm adds, "And so too is the fate of my Dusklops. Please find it."

Jenny nods. "We'll do our best." Mr. Contesta and Malcolm leave. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Jenny depart from the crowd.

Brock declares, "Well gang, it looks like we have a mystery on our hands."

Ash then asks, "Is it even a mystery? I mean come on, Pokémon are being stolen by a giant Pokémon. Doesn't this have Team Rocket and one of their robots written all over it?"

Brock thinks and nods. "Yes, that could be it…"

Jenny asks, "Team Rocket, you mean like the gang from the Kanto Region? There have been no reports of them in Tenno."

Brenda answers, "There's a group of three of them that like to follow us around. They're not much of a threat, which is why you haven't heard of them here until now."

Brock suggests, "Well, the logical course of action would be to question Team Rocket."

Brenda asks, "Question them, how do you plan on doing that?"

Ash thinks. "Wait, I've got an idea." He cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, "Hey team Rocket, Pikachu is right here and ready to be stolen!"

Sure enough, a group of three emerge from a nearby crowd and toss aside their disguises, revealing Team Rocket. Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble now that you've finally surrendered!"

James adds, "Make it double, we're-"

Ash cuts him off, "Wait, stop, I wasn't actually surrendering Pikachu."

Jessie and James pause awkwardly in a mid-motto pose. Meowth demands, "Then why'd you say that!?"

Brock says, "Because we need to ask you a couple of questions."

Jessie unfreezes from her pose and shouts angrily, "You mean you lied to us!?"

James shouts, "There's nothing worse than a lying twerp!"

Wobbuffet appears and shouts angrily, "Wobbuffet!"

Ash sighs with frustration. He then demands, "Look, I want you three to give back all the Pokémon you've stolen as the Wraith!"

Jessie and James look to each other and then begin to laugh hysterically. Meowth, Wobbuffet, and Mime Jr. all join in the laughter.

Brenda asks, "What's so funny?"

Jessie laughs, "You are twerps."

James laughs, "You really think that we're that Wraith?"

Meowth laughs, "It's so not our style!"

Ash demands, "How is it not your style? A giant Pokémon, probably a robot stealing Pokémon. That has your name written all over it."

James shakes his head. "No, because we are proud here at Team Rocket. If we stole a Pokémon, we would advertise it. You'd know if we were the Wraith."

Meowth adds, "Besides, the Wraith has been here for weeks. You know we haven't, as we've been following you twerps."

Jessie adds, "And I don't want to see the contest cancelled either."

Brenda is confused. "Wait, what do you care about the contest?"

Jessie, remembering that her entrance in contests is a secret, backtracks, "Oh, um, never mind that last statement."

Brock then says, "They are right though, they have a solid alibi for the past few weeks."

Jenny looks them over carefully. "Are you sure?"

James says, "I swear, just this once, we're innocent."

Brock nods. "Yeah, I'm sure."

Jenny nods. "Alright then, you're free to go."

The moment she says that, the three of them dash off. Brenda sighs. "There goes our only lead."

Brock's thinking. After a moment, he says, "I suggest we wait until later tonight to continue our investigation."

Jenny nods. "That's a good idea. The Wraith only comes out during the night, maybe we'll see it."

Ash gulps and asks, "Is it the wisest idea to try to find the giant ghost?"

Brock nods. "It's exactly what we need to do."

* * *

It's now night. They have regrouped. The city around them seems eerily empty. Brenda asks, "Where'd all the people go?"

Jenny answers, "With an attack from the Wraith happening just last night, people are scared, so they're staying inside."

Ash nods. "Can't blame them either."

Brock says, "Alright gang, I suggest we split up to look for clues." In a sudden change of tone, he adds, "I'll go with Detective Jenny."

Brenda sighs. "I better go with those two to make sure Brock doesn't cause any problems."

Brock, back to normal, says, "So that leaves Ash and Pikachu to look in the opposite direction." Everyone nods.

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

**Singing in eerie voices, they wander town streets on the night of the new moon. Anyone who hears their song is cursed.**

* * *

Brock, Brenda, and Detective Jenny are now in the park where the previous night's incident took place. Detective Jenny has a magnifying glass out and is observing the area with close scrutiny. She says, "If that Wraith left behind a single clue, I'll find it."

Brock and Brenda are searching in some bushes. Brenda complains, "Well I'm certainly not finding anything."

Brock looks up from the bush and notices something out of the corner of his eyes. He says, "Hey, look over there, it's Mr. Contesta." Brock points to the other side of the park, where Mr. Contesta is walking. He seems to be avoiding any attention.

Brenda asks, "Why would he be walking through the park in the dead of night?"

Jenny nods. "Yes, it does appear suspicious. I suggest we follow him." Brock and Brenda nod in agreement. They sneak behind some bushes and begin to follow him, being careful not to be seen.

Brenda steps on a twig, causing it to crack. Everyone quickly ducks for cover under the bushes. Mr. Contesta looks back nervously and asks, "Hello? Is anyone there?" After a moment of no reply he shakes his head and continues on his way. Brock, Brenda, and Jenny continue to follow him.

Mr. Contesta stops when he makes it to a row of payphones. He puts some money into one and dials a number. After waiting a moment for the other end to pick up, Mr. Contesta says, "Hi, it's me." A moment for the other end to speak. "Yes, so the Pokémon Contest has been cancelled. I'm free to do other things now." There's another pause. "Alright, I'll see you later." He hangs up. He looks around briefly, just missing the hiding Brock, Brenda, and Jenny, and then walks away.

Brenda says with some surprise, "Was it just me, or did Mr. Contesta just sound like he wanted the contest to be cancelled?"

Jenny nods slowly. "Yes, that is very suspicious. Come on, we have to find more clues."

* * *

**It's Gourgeist!**

* * *

Ash and Pikachu walk alone down a sidewalk. Ash comments, "Of course there's a giant ghost on the loose and they leave just you and me to go after it. They said to look for clues. What kind of clues?"

Pikachu shrugs and answers, "Pikachu," sounding like its saying "I don't know."

"Then I guess we should just keep on moving. Maybe we'll get lucky." They walk for a little while longer. Ash suddenly stops when he notices a sign on a building next him. "Hmm…this sign says that the food here is all you can eat." Ash looks down to his stomach and it rumbles. Pikachu's does too. Ash grins. "No one ever said we couldn't look for clues while grabbing a bite to eat."

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pika." They turn to go into the restaurant.

* * *

Two massive meals later, a pile of plates has accumulated at Ash and Pikachu's table. Various patrons of the restaurant are stealing quick glances at Ash and Pikachu with surprise and disbelief at how much they've eaten. Ash says, "I think I'm going to get another plate. You think you could go for another slice of pizza Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods excitedly. "Pik pik."

Ash nods back. "Alright, I'll be right back." He gets up to go back to the buffet, but a man in a suit stands in his way. Ash says, "Excuse me sir, I was just heading back to the buffet."

The man shakes his head. "No, no more food for you. You've eaten vastly more than your money's worth."

"But the sign says all you can eat, and I can eat more."

The man shakes his head angrily. "The sign means all a normal person can eat. You sir are not normal. Get out of my restaurant."

This frustrates Ash. "Fine then. You'll never see me here again. Come on Pikachu." Pikachu hops down to Ash's feet and the two march out.

Once outside, they're back to walking down the sidewalk. Ash remarks bitterly, "False advertising they have there."

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pika."

Ash suddenly comes to a complete halt and looks down at the ground ahead of him. Pikachu looks up at him questioningly. Ash asks, "Hey Pikachu, did I just get really fat from all that food, or is that not my shadow?" Ash is referring to the shadow cast in front of him by a streetlight behind him. It is obviously not his as it is much larger than he is.

Both Ash and Pikachu slowly turn their heads behind them. Floating there is the Wraith. It lets out an ear piercing shriek. Pikachu screams with terror and leaps into Ash's arms. Ash shouts, "Let's get out of here!" They begin to run away.

The Wraith shrieks again and then floats after them. Ash and Pikachu turn and run into a run-down warehouse to try to hide. The door is too small for the Wraith to fit through, but after another shriek it rams through the doorway, breaking it in.

In a chase montage, Ash and Pikachu are chased all around the old warehouse. No matter where they go, the Wraith follows. They crisscross the floor several times trying to get away, but the Wraith sticks to them. At one point the Wraith opens its mouth and attempts to suck Pikachu in, but Ash and Pikachu manage to leap down onto a lower floor to get away from the vacuum. They then run behind a large storage container and breathe a collective sigh of relief, thinking that they're safe. They're wrong though, the Wraith is actually waiting for them there. They run back out. They try running into different chambers, but always the Wraith follows them. They just can't get away. Finally, they just run back out of the warehouse in an attempt to find somewhere else to hide.

* * *

Brock, Brenda, and Jenny are still combing the park for clues. Out of nowhere they hear Ash and Pikachu screaming. They look back to see them running towards them. Brenda asks, "What's wrong guys? You look like you've seen a…" She trails off when she sees the Wraith following them.

Ash shouts, "Run!"

Pikachu adds, "Pika pi!" Everyone runs

Jenny, in hastily beginning to run, drops her magnifying glass. She declares, "My magnifying glass! I can't see clues without my magnifying glass!" She quickly runs back, grabs it, and then runs away again just before the Wraith makes it to her. She tucks her magnifying glass away and returns attention to fleeing.

They all run as a group and the Wraith chases after them. After running, they find themselves at a dead end, blocked by a lake in the center of the park. Brock exclaims, "Quickly everyone, in the water!" Everyone quickly listens and jumps into the lake. They swim out, away from the shore.

The Wraith reaches the edge of the water and stops. It pauses for a moment, as if considering whether or not to go after them. It then promptly turns around and flies out of sight. It drops something as it does.

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief and swims back to shore. Ash asks, "Are you sure it's gone now?"

Brock shrugs. "There's no way to know. We've just got to hope." Everyone gets out of the water.

Brenda comments, "So that was the Wraith. It sure was scary, but I guess it's afraid of water."

Ash Pikachu nod. Ash says, "That's for sure."

Jenny is looking at something on the ground. "Hey, look at this."

Everyone looks to what she's looking at. Ash realizes what it is and asks, "Did the wraith drop a cookie?"

Jenny picks it up and observes it. "Apparently so."

Ash comments, "I suppose even giant ghost Pokémon need a snack."

Jenny looks over the cookie and says, "Something tells me that our Wraith isn't even a Pokémon at all. And I think I've got this mystery about wrapped up. We just need to catch it now."

Brock declares, "Then I say it's time for us to build a trap."

* * *

Everyone's now standing in the courtyard of Starside's Contest Hall. Ash asks Brock, "Are you sure this is going to work Brock?"

Brock nods. "Absolutely." He points to the entrance way to the courtyard. "You see, this courtyard may appear to be in open space, but both the doors and roof can be activated to close this room up. We'll just be waiting in the maintenance room over there, and once the Wraith comes in here, we'll seal off all the exits."

Ash nods. "Alright, that's great. Just one question though. How do you plan on getting the Wraith to come in here?"

Brock grins. "That part's simple. You and Pikachu will act as bait. If the Wraith wants to steal Pokémon, you and Pikachu will present it with a chance to."

Ash gulps. "I don't like the sound of that."

Pikachu flat out refuses and shakes its head, saying, "Pik chu," as if saying "No way."

Brenda reaches into Brock backpack and pulls out a can. She asks, "Would you do it for a Pokétreat?" Pikachu shakes its head. "How about two Pokétreats?" Pikachu considers, but then shakes its head again. "Fine, how about three Pokétreats?" Pikachu finally nods, excitedly at that. "All right, here you go!" She tosses three treats to Pikachu, who catches them midair and quickly eats them.

Jenny declares, "Alright, now that that's settled, let's catch us a Wraith."

* * *

Ash and Pikachu are now nervously walking back and forth through the courtyard. All of the lights have been turned off. Ash shouts, "Oh Mr. Wraith, I have a nice powerful Pokémon for you to take!" After a couple of moments with no response, he says to Pikachu with some relief, "Alright then, I guess it isn't showing up. Too bad, let's get out of here."

Before Pikachu can agree, the shriek of the Wraith can be heard. Pikachu leaps terrified into Ash's arms again. Ash looks behind him to see the Wraith entering the courtyard. He backs away slowly.

In the control room, Brock exclaims, "There it is! It worked!" Once the Wraith is inside the courtyard, Brock declares, "Alright, closing off all entrances now!" He pushes a button. Nothing happens.

Outside, Ash shouts, "Guys, now would be a great time to enact the plan!"

Brenda shouts back, "Sorry Ash, something isn't working here! We're trying to figure it out!"

Brock is looking at all the controls. "I don't get it, it's like there's no power or something."

Back outside, the Wraith is still approaching Ash and Pikachu. At this point, they break out and run. The Wraith shrieks and chases after them. They run into the Contest Hall. Unfortunately, the entranceway to the hall is large enough for the Wraith to fit through and it follows. Ash and Pikachu run down the aisle between chairs and towards the stage. Once they make to the stage, it's a dead end. Realizing this, they then actually run at the Wraith. This catches it off guard for just long enough for them to run past it and back out of the hall. Once outside, they run for the exit to the courtyard and run right out.

The Wraith seems to have tired of chasing them. It stops at the courtyard entrance and shrieks. Then it opens its mouth and tries to suck in Pikachu. Ash shouts, "Pikachu, let's give it a Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu nods. "Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes an electrical bolt at the giant Pokémon. However, the Wraith simply moves to the side, avoiding the attack. However, the stray Thunderbolt hits something behind the Wraith, what appears to be a severed power cord. Electricity travels up it and into the control room.

In the control room, all of the panels light up. Brock exclaims, "We've got power!" He presses the button again.

Just as Pikachu is being sucked away from Ash, the door above the Wraith's head slams down. First the Wraith is pushed to the floor, then the door actually cleaves through it, revealing mechanical inner workings.

Ash cheers. "Yeah, goodbye Wraith!"

Pikachu adds, "Pik pikachu!"

Brock, Brenda, and Jenny come running out. Brenda asks, "Ash, Pikachu, are you okay?"

Ash answers, "Yeah, we're fine. Can't say the same for the Wraith though."

Brenda looks at it. "Wow, it was just a robot all along. Who was controlling it though."

Ash says, "It had to have been Team Rocket. They used a giant robot to try to steal Pikachu, just like always."

Brock then says, "No, I bet it was Mr. Contesta. He wanted the contest to be cancelled. He must have set in play this elaborate ruse to make sure it happened."

Jenny shakes her head. "I'm afraid neither of you are right."

Brenda asks, "Well if it wasn't them, who could it be?"

Jenny walks over to the wrecked machine and declares, "I present to you our culprit." She rips the head off, revealing a driver.

Everyone gasps and says at once, "Malcolm!?"

Malcolm looks at them angrily and says, "You got lucky."

Mr. Contesta comes running in with several police officers following him. He says, "I heard there was a commotion here at the hall. What's going on?"

Jenny says, "We just caught your Wraith."

Contesta looks at Malcolm with surprise. "Malcolm, how could you?"

Jenny says, "I'll answer that for you. Because Malcolm isn't who he claims to be at all. There's no famous Pokémon Coordinator by the name of Malcolm in Hoenn. There is however a notorious Pokémon thief."

Brock asks, "But how did you know that Malcolm was the Wraith?"

"I first suspected him when he said that it was his Dusklops that was stolen. I immediately made the connection between Dusklops and Dusknoir, its evolved form. I was made even more suspicious when the Wraith refused to follow us into the water. I remembered Malcolm mentioning that only time he had ever been that afraid was when he almost drowned. It stood to reason that he was afraid of water."

Ash asks, "What about that cookie we found?"

Jenny nods. "That cookie was the most important piece of evidence." She pulls it out. "This isn't just any cookie, it's a Lava Cookie. And do you know where the only place you can find Lava Cookies is? The Hoenn Region."

Brenda asks, "But wait, plenty of witnesses said that they saw Malcolm when Wraith attack occurred last night. How was he in two places at once?"

"He wasn't, that's how. It was simply a ruse to throw us off his trail. She taps on Malcolm's ear piece. "This device right here served as a remote for his machine."

Mr. Contesta nods. "It was a very clever plan."

Malcolm then declares, "And I would have gotten away with it too if it weren't for you meddling kids!"

Jenny looks to the police officers and orders, "Now arrest this man."

They both nod and say, "Yes ma'am." They move to pull him out and cuff him.

Brenda looks to Mr. Contesta and says, "There's still one thing I don't get. Why did you say on the phone that you wanted the contest cancelled?"

Mr. Contesta chuckles with embarrassment. "Oh, you heard that, did you? Please don't take it in the wrong way. It's just that my mother wanted me to pay her a visit tomorrow. I was telling her that if the contest was cancelled I'd be able to."

Brock asks, "But why were you being so sneaky about it?"

"To be honest, I was embarrassed about having to use a pay phone. You see, I lost my Pokéssistant."

Brock nods. "Alright."

Brenda asks, "So is the contest back on?"

Mr. Contesta nods. "It certainly is now, thanks to you."

Brenda cheers, "Yeah!"

Suddenly there's a shriek from the wreckage of the Wraith robot and the entire thing moves, as if trying to get up. Everyone jumps back with fear. Pikachu then peeks its head out of the cockpit, its wearing the earpiece remote. It smiles. Everyone laughs. Pikachu declares, "Pika pika chu!"

The Narrator Laughs too. _Well, that's one mystery solved for our group of meddling kids. Now it's no mystery that next up is Brenda's contest. Stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**Happy Halloween everyone!**


	39. Episode 39: Two's a Crowd

Episode 39: Two's a Crowd

Inside the Starside Contest Hall the audience is cheering. Gillian Meridian steps onto the stage and declares, "Welcome one and all the Starside Contest! We may have had some difficulties yesterday, but the show must go on! I'm sure you're all as excited as I am to see today's double performances!" The audience cheers louder.

_Why, I couldn't have said it better myself! Since that's been taken care of, let's just watch!_

Gillian continues, "But first, allow me to introduce our wonderful panel of judges! First, it's the Contest Director himself, Mr. Contesta!"

Contesta greats, "Hello one and all, I am truly excited to see what we have in store for today!"

"Then it's the one, the only, the remarkable, Mr. Sukizo!"

Sukizo grins and proclaims, "I'm sure the near cancelation of this contest will only make it that much more remarkable!"

"And finally, we have our beautiful guest judge, Starside City's Nurse Joy!"

Nurse Joy blushes. "Thank you so much for having me."

In the audience, Brock says, "Beautiful…she sure has that right…"

Ash elbows him. "Come on Brock, we're here to watch Brenda, not Nurse Joy."

Brock rapidly shakes his head to snap himself out of it. "Yes, of course…sorry."

Gillian continues, "Now I hope you'll all join me in welcoming the coordinators and their Pokémon. First out, it's Jessileia!"

Jessie in her costume runs out onto the stage. She shouts, "That's Princess Jessileia, and don't you forget it!" She then takes her position and pulls out two Pokéballs. "Grace the stage, Buzzsaw and Wobbuffet!"

Both Pokémon appear with a dazzling display of sparkling lights from the Pokéballs' seals. Wobbuffet declares, "Wobbuffet!"

Buzzsaw adds, "Buzz zzzzz zzzzz zzz!"

James and Meowth are watching from the audience. Meowth says, "Alright, this is it, the moment of truth."

James nods in agreement. "Yes, time to see if all of that training Jessie did will pay off." He then cheers, "You can do it Jessie! I mean Jessileia!"

Jessie begins, "Wobbuffet, use your Mirror Coat, and give it a twirl while you're at it!" Wobbuffet begins to spin around as fast as it can, and glows with the Mirror Coat. "Now Buzzsaw, use you Flash Cannon on Wobbuffet, but only just graze it!" From between its mandibles, Buzzsaw unleashes a beam of silvery light that, as Jessie commands, just grazes Wobbuffet. Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat and spinning causes the Flash Cannon to refract around the room, causing the entire stage to twinkle and glow. Jessie begins to twirl around like a ballerina herself.

The audience oohs and ahhs. Gillian states, "What a brilliant combination! The mirror effect of Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat is causing the light of Buzzsaw's Flash Cannon to cover this room in a brilliant light show!"

Jessie grins. "This is nice, but what's a dance without some music? Buzzsaw, focus your Bug Buzz on Wobbuffet! Wobbuffet, Mirror Coat on and off in the practiced pattern!"

Buzzsaw unleashes its Bug Buzz, but instead of sending the shockwaves of sound outwards and all around it, it focuses in a tight wave straight at Wobbuffet. Wobbuffet begins to rapidly cover and uncover itself with Mirror Coat. The Bug Buzz begins, and everyone is surprised at the results. Whenever Bug Buzz is reflected by Mirror Coat a note is made. Wobbuffet's alteration of Mirror Coats actually makes it sound like a piece of music is being played. Jessie continues to dance.

After a little of this, Jessie then declares, "And now for the grand finale! Buzzsaw, Night Slash on Wobbuffet! Wobbuffet, you use Counter!" Buzzsaw flies at Wobbuffet with shadows covering its mandibles. Wobbuffet becomes cloaked in the orange energy of a Counter. Buzzsaw slashes. The moment its attack makes contact with Wobbuffet an explosion of shadows covers the stage.

Gillian says with some confusion, "Jessileia and her Pokémon seem to have covered the field in shadows…I'm not sure what good that does her if we can't see what she's doing."

Then the shadows clear and Jessie declares, "Ta da!" She is standing on top of Wobbuffet, striking a pose, and Buzzsaw is perched on the top of her hair.

The crowd cheers. Mr. Contesta says, "That was a very creative way to use Wobbuffet's purely defensive move set, and combine it with Buzzsaw's primarily offensive move set!"

Mr. Sukizo declares, "Watching that performance made me feel remarkable!"

Nurse Joy adds, "We may not have known why you would cover yourself up at the end, but the surprise pose truly helped to tie the show together."

Jessie and her Pokémon take a bow.

Watching via a screen backstage is Brenda, wearing her contest clothes. Someone steps up behind her and says, "She seems to have gotten better, hasn't she?"

Brenda looks up to see Will standing behind her. "Oh, hi Will. Yeah, she has."

"Must have been a lot of training on her end. Speaking of that, how much training did you do?"

Brenda's about to answer truthfully, but pauses. She then simply says, "Enough."

Will shakes his head and sits down next to Brenda. "You can never get enough training. There's always room for improvement."

Brenda shrugs. "I'm ready. I know it."

Will nods. "Well that's a different story. Good luck out there."

Brenda nods back. "You too. I'm looking forward to our rematch."

Will grins. "You'll get it."

* * *

Several more performances pass. Various coordinators show off their double performances. Eventually, Gillian announces, "Alright, next up is Brenda!"

Brenda runs out onto the stage. Eager to get to her performance, she pulls out her Pokéballs right away and tosses them. "Kappaqua, Rabbolt, center stage!" Each ball has its own seal. One releases a cloud of bubbles, and the other pulses of electricity. In an ironic twist, Rabbolt appears from the bubbles and Kappaqua from the electricity. "Alright, let's start things off with a bang! Kappaqua, send an Aqua Bomb straight up into the air! Rabbolt, let's send a precisely aimed Shockwave right at it!" Kappaqua launches an orb of water towards the roof. Rabbolt then sends a precise bolt of electricity at the water. The moment the two attacks collide, they explode. First the mist from the water of the aqua bomb is sent in all directions, then the electricity from the Shockwave spreads out across in a brilliant dance, jumping between each particle of mist. The spectators are entranced.

Brenda grins. "Before the mist lands, catch it all with Confusion!" Kappaqua leaps forward and gathers its concentration. Using its psychic powers, it catches and levitates all of the electrified mist in the air. "Now bring it back together!" Kappaqua pulls in all of them mist, and reconstructs the original orb of water. "Now drop it!" The water falls towards the ground. "Rabbolt, cover yourself in a Static Cloak and use Bounce get on top of the water!" Rabbolt's fur begins to glisten with the Static Cloak and leaps up, and fall down on to the water just before it hits the ground. Rabbolt pounds right through it, causing the water to now splash outwards, creating a disk around it. For the moment this disk hangs in the air, it carries the electricity from Rabbolt's Static Cloak and shimmers just like Rabbolt. The water then falls to the ground. Brenda takes a bow.

Gillian exclaims, "What a stunning performance! But don't take my word for it, let's see what the judges have to say."

Mr. Contesta says, "The movements and coordination of your Pokémon was spot on. I can't imagine how long you must have practiced to get that right." Brenda grins awkwardly at the statement.

Mr. Sukizo declares, "I'm not sure if remarkable even covers this performance!"

Nurse Joy adds, "You blended the opposites of water and electricity perfectly. That was a pleasure to watch."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon dwells in volcanic caves. It digs in with its cross-shaped feet to crawl on ceilings and walls.**

* * *

An explosion of both shadows and sparkles ripples above the stage. Will, Ravenoir, and Helioptile all bow. Mr. Contesta declares, "What a stunning performance, the contrast of light and darkness was amazing!"

Mr. Sukizo proclaims, "What else can I say but remarkable?"

Nurse Joy adds, "That was a wonderful way to end today's Appeal Stage."

Gillian announces, "And there you have it folks, that brings the Appeal Stage of this year's Starside Contest to a conclusion! Now we'll let our judges deliberate and we'll have the results of who's moving on in no time at all!"

Will heads backstage. He notices Brenda sitting on the same bench as before. He walks over to her and asks, "So how do you feel?"

Brenda looks up to him in surprise. "Oh, hi again. That performance you just did was great."

Will smiles. "Thanks. I out a lot of effort into making sure that Helioptile was up to it. It rose to the occasion in the end."

Brenda nods. "That's nice. I'm confident in my performance. I'm certain I'm moving on."

Will nods with agreement. "It does seem likely."

Brenda grins. "It looks like we're going to get our rematch."

Will chuckles and says, "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Battle Round of a double performance is an entirely different ballgame from the Appeal Stage."

Brenda scoffs at the notion. "I can handle it."

"Don't get too overconfident now."

Over the TV, they hear Gillian announce, "Alright everyone, the verdict has been delivered! Our judges have decided the lucky eight coordinators who get to move on to compete in the Battle Rounds! If you would please turn your attention to the screen!"

Pictures begin to appear on the screen. Brenda's is the first to appear. Brenda leaps up and cheers, "Yeah, I got first place!"

In the audience, Ash and Brock look at each other excitedly. Ash says with disbelief, "Brenda actually got first place!"

Pikachu cheers, "Pik pikachu!"

Pictures of coordinators continue to appear. Will is in third place, immediately followed by Jessie in fourth. Jessie simply smiles to herself and asks, "Was there ever any doubt?" The remaining four images appear.

Brenda turns to Will and says, "I guess my overconfidence was warranted. I even beat you."

He responds sternly, "Once again, the Battle Round is completely different. Don't get ahead of yourself."

Gillian then announces, "And now to see the first round match-ups!" On the screen, a tournament bracket appears. The first match is Brenda against Jessie, and the last is Will against the coordinator that got second place in the Appeal Stage.

* * *

**It's Heatran!**

* * *

Brenda and Jessie have each taken their positions on the stage. In front of Jessie is Repiv and Haking, and in front of Brenda is Kappaqua and Glitterfly. Gillian announces, "Five minutes on the clock, battle begin!"

Jessie declares, "With all the experience you two have battling together, there's no way we can lose this! Repiv, use Poison Sting on Glitterfly! Haking, use Sludge Bomb on Kappaqua!"

Brenda declares, "Well there's no way we're losing this either! Both of you, dodge now!" Both Pokémon listen and dodge, the only problem is that they move towards each other and crash. They bump off of each other and back into the range of the attacks. They are both hit. Brenda is shocked. "What…?"

The judges are not amused. They shake their heads and a large chunk of points is subtracted from Brenda's total.

Jessie laughs. "Ha, you call yourself a Pokémon coordinator? Your Pokémon have no coordination whatsoever! Repiv, capture Kappaqua with Wrap, then Haking, blind Glitterfly with Smokescreen!"

Brenda shakes off the surprise of what just happened and commands, "Kappaqua, stop Repiv with Confusion! Glitterfly, blow away the Smokescreen with Gust!"

Kappaqua uses its confusion to catch Repiv as it lunges towards it. Haking does cover Glitterfly with smoke, but Glitterfly blows it away easily with Gust. However, Glitterfly's gust also causes Kappaqua to lose it concentration, freeing Repiv. Repiv manages to get a hold of Kappaqua and squeezes it tight. Further points are deducted from Brenda's total.

Up in the audience, Ash asks, "What's going on? Brenda did so well in the Appeal Stage. Why is she suddenly messing up here?"

Brock says, "Different Pokémon work differently together. Kappaqua and Rabbolt may have been a winning combination, but it looks like Kappaqua and Glitterfly aren't."

Backstage, Will is watching with disbelief and disapproval. He shakes his head and groans.

Jessie laughs. "I've been waiting for a moment like this for a long time! This is great! Repiv, let's use a Poison Fang on Kappaqua!"

Brenda is still stunned by what's happening, but she manages to order, "Glitterfly, help Kappaqua out! Use Signal Beam on Repiv!" Glitterfly attacks with a beam of rainbow light.

Jessie orders, "Out of the way Repiv!" Repiv releases its grip on Kappaqua quickly slithers away.

Brenda watches in horror as Glitterfly's Signal Beam hits Kappaqua. The judges are looking annoyed at this point. A significant amount of points are taken from Brenda.

Having been hit by Glitterfly's attack, Kappaqua is angered. It shouts at Glitterfly, "Kappapapaqa!" Without being told to do anything, it then sends an Aqua Bomb at Glitterfly.

Glitterfly dodges out of the way and shouts angrily back, "Glittererererfly!" Then attack Kappaqua with another Signal Beam, this time on purpose.  
Nurse Joy stands up and declares, "Enough! This battle is over!" The other judges nod in agreement. They reduce Brenda's points to nothing. Nurse Joy scolds, "If your Pokémon can't work together as a team, then you are disqualified."

Brenda freezes in shock. She is stunned and speechless. Jessie is shocked as well. She asks under her breath, "I…actually won? I beat the Twerpette?"

James and Meowth cheer in absolute joy. They shout at the same time, "Jessie won! Jessie actually won for once!"

Mr. Contesta says sternly, "I don't know what you were thinking entering this contest with your Pokémon so ill prepared. Get off this stage now."

Mr. Sukizo sighs, "Not remarkable at all…"

In a state of emotional shock, Brenda returns the still arguing Kappaqua and Glitterfly to their Pokéballs and walks off the stage. Once she offstage and out of sight off anyone, she runs down the hallway and begins to sob. She keeps on running until she makes it to a dark and empty room. She just falls down in a corner and continues to cry.

After a short time of this, the door to the room opens. Ash and Brock walk in. Ash says, "Come on Brenda, you don't have to cry."

She looks up for a moment to see them, then lowers her head again. She sobs, "Leave me alone."

Brock comforts, "It's not that bad. Anyone can have a bad day, it's not the end of the world."

Ash says, "Yeah, cheer up. It's not your fault."

A voice from behind Ash says sternly, "No, it is her fault."

Ash and Brock look behind them to see that Will has just walked into the room. He is upset. He walks right past Ash and Brock to Brenda. He looks at her with some disgust. "You do realize that, right? This is all your fault. It's not your Pokémon's, it's not Jessileia's, and it's not the judges'. It's your fault."

Ash, sounding a little upset, steps up to Will and says, "Hey, stop that. Can't you see she's having a hard time?"

Will nods. "Yes, and she needs to hear this, so back off." He looks back to Brenda. "You didn't do a single bit of training, did you?" He waits for an answer, but gets none. He then demands, "Answer the question!"

Brenda looks up to him, sniffles, and shakes her head slowly.

"Just as I thought. When I first saw you in a contest, I complimented you on your natural talent. Then you went on to win a ribbon on only your second try. You let that all get to your head. I don't care how much innate talent you have, you can't just charge into a situation and assume everything's going to work out. I bet that you never even once had your Kappaqua and Glitterfly battle together. You had no way of knowing if they could form a team or not. You, in your pure arrogance, decided that they would do just fine. Their messing up out there isn't their fault, it's purely yours. You got lucky that Rabbolt and Kappaqua worked so well together, nothing more. You didn't even deserve to make it past the first round. You were even warned by the performance of my Helioptile and Cryogonal that not all Pokémon teams work, but instead you just waltzed in here assuming that everything was going to go perfect for you, without even the simplest test of Pokémon compatibility."

Brenda looks up to him. She's about to say something in her defense, but then just stops.

Will nods. "And you know I'm right. It was an insult to us other Coordinators who spent countless hours training. You took the spot of someone else who deserved to make it to the Battle Rounds much more than you did! When I first met you, and you told me that you had only first heard of Contests days before entering your first, I thought that was ridiculous and, to be frank, slightly insulting that you think you would just enter a contest while knowing almost nothing about them. But then I saw your performance and your raw talent. I decided to give you chance. I thought that if you trained right, you could become a great Coordinator. Now I know my original assumption was correct. You don't deserve to call yourself a Pokémon Coordinator, and until you get more serious about this, you shouldn't be." He turns around and begins to leave the room. He stops at the door. Without turning to face Brenda, he adds, "You have lost any respect I had for you, natural talent or not." He leaves.

Once he's gone, Brenda just begins to sob harder. Ash tries to comfort, "You don't have to listen to him Brenda."

Brenda shakes her head and sobs, "No…he's right. He's right about everything. I don't deserve to be a Pokémon Coordinator. I don't deserve to at all." She just keeps on crying.

* * *

Will and Jessie are now battling in what seems to be the final round. Jessie has Repiv and Haking, Will has his Cryogonal and a Duosion. Both sides seem to have taken heavy damage. Jessie orders, "Poison Sting and Sludge Bomb now!" Her Pokémon both launch their attacks.

Will counters, "Duosion, Light Screen!" Duosion creates a barrier of light around it and Cryogonal, blocking the attacks. "Now Cryogonal, Aurora Beam!" Cryogonal unleashes a beam of rainbow light. It passes through the Light Screen is refracted in all different directions. It is impossible for Repiv and Haking to dodge.

The clock hits zero and Gillian announces, "And that's time! Let's look to the scores to see who are winner is!" On the screen, Will and Jessie's points look almost exactly even, both have nearly ran out. Gillian announces, "And winning by just the slimmest of margins is Princess Jessileia!"

Jessie recoils with surprise. "I…actually…won…?"

James and Meowth begin to jump for joy again, even more excitedly than before. They chant, "Jessie won a contest! Jessie won a contest!" They do this to the point of annoying the other spectators around them.

James declares, "This is a proud day for Team Rocket!"

Meowth nods. "Today Team Rocket is victorious!"

They both shout at once, "Team Rocket won't be blasting off today!" The other spectators continue to glare at them.

* * *

Ash and Brock step back into the room where Brenda was crying. She's no longer crying, but she's still just sitting in corner. Her eyes are red from all her crying. Ash says, "We came to see if you were better."

Brock adds, "The contest just ended, Jessileia beat Will in the final round." Brenda doesn't respond.

Ash urges, "Come on Brenda, you can't just sit here forever."

Then there's a flash of light, and both Kappaqua and Glitterfly appear from their Pokéballs at once. Brenda looks from one to the other. She finally asks meekly, "What are you two doing?"

Kappaqua then solemnly says, "Kappa appa…"

Glitterfly adds, "Glitter…"

A small grin comes to her face. "You want to apologize for before?" She sniffles. "There's no need to apologize. What happened on that stage was my fault and mine alone. I failed you as your trainer…"

Kappaqua and Glitterfly move in close to Brenda and hug her. Brenda smiles slightly. Ash, Brock, and Pikachu then bend and hug her too. Ash says, "You're going to have to deal with tough times and challenges sometimes Brenda, there's nothing you can do but just move on."

Brenda takes a deep breath. "Move on…yeah…you're right." She stands up and forces a full smile. "Now come on, why don't we get moving? Starcore City is just on the other side of the mountains outside this town. Let's go."

Ash grins. "Yeah, let's."

The Narrator says solemnly, _So Brenda has hit a major bump on her road to become a Top Coordinator. Can she overcome it? Only time will tell. Stay tuned…_

**To Be Continued…**


	40. Episode 40: Naughty or Ice

Episode 40: Naughty or Ice

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are standing at the foot of a massive mountain range. _Following up Brenda's devastating loss at the Starside Contest, our heroes are now continuing on their way to Starside City, location of Ash's next gym battle._

Brock explains, "Here we are, Mt. Corona, the tallest mountains in Tenno. Mt. Corona completely encircles Starcore City, so we're going to have to make it either up or through the mountain."

Someone with a heavy accent shouts from the side, "So you need to climb the mountain? We can help you."

Ash and Brock look to the side to see a group of three oddly dressed people. They are all dressed in winter clothes and carry climbing equipment. One is a girl with red hair, another a boy with blue hair, and the third is very short. Ash asks, "Can you really get us over the mountain?"

The blue-haired one answers, also with a heavy, possibly over-heavy, accent, "Of course we can help you. We are expert mountain guides. We can take you over the mountain."

The short one, with a similar accent, adds, "And you are lucky because today only we are providing our expertise for free."

Brock smiles. "That's great." He looks back to Brenda and asks, "Did you hear that Brenda? These people are going to help us over them mountain for free."

Brenda seems preoccupied with thought. After a moment she realizes that she was asked a question. She answers with an unemotional, "Yeah…that's great…"

Ash says, "Alright then, what are we waiting for? Let's get moving."

The red-haired one nods. "Yes, of course. Let's." The three guides look at each other and grin mischievously. She continues, "Everyone follow us, and that includes your Pikachu." The guides begin to hike up a trail. Ash, Brock, and Brenda follow.

They continue to walk up the trail for some ways. The guides stop when they make it to a small flat patch on the trail. Ash asks, "Why'd we stop?"

The blue-haired one answers, "Oh, no particular reason. However, could you do us a favor?"

"What kind of favor?"

The red-haired one answers, "Oh, nothing too hard. Could you all just take four steps to your right?"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda do as they're asked and take four steps to their right. Brock asks, "Alright, what now?"

The short one slaps the red-haired one. "What she meant was four steps to our right, not yours. So if you could please take eight steps to your left."

They once again do as they told. The guides flash mischievous looks at each other. After a second of nothing happening, they change their look to surprise.

Ash asks, "Was something supposed to happen?"

The blue-haired one nods. "Yes, something was supposed to happen. Why don't you try jumping up and down?"

Ash and Brock look at him with some confusion, but then just shrug. Ash and Brock jump up. Brenda doesn't seem to care enough to. The moment Ash and Brock hit the ground again, the three of them go smashing down through the floor into a pitfall trap. The guides begin to laugh.

Ash demands, "Hey, what's going on here!?"

The red-haired one throws off her mountaineering gear, revealing her to be Jessie. She declares, "Prepare for trouble, we have you right where we want!"

The blue-haired one reveals himself as James and adds, "Make it double, our pitfall trap's a real taunt!"

"To protect the world from straying off the path!"

"To unite all people against the mountain's wrath!"

"To denounce the evils of snow and cold!"

"To extend our reach to the top, brave and bold!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket summits this mountain tonight!"

"Surrender now or you'll fall out of sight!"

The short one throws off his clothes, revealing him to be Meowth. "Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash demands, "Let us out of here right now, Team Rocket!"

Jessie asks, "And in what why would that benefit us?"

James suggests, "I don't know. Maybe we could work out a deal. We'll let you out if you hand over Pikachu."

Ash shouts, "You'll never get Pikachu!"

Meowth counters, "Then you'll never get out." He shrugs. "I don't think I'd chose to stay in a hole forever, but hey, it's your call."

Ash makes a leap to try to grab onto a root sticking out of the wall. He grabs onto it and tries to use it to help him climb out. The root snaps and Ash falls to the ground. When he does, the ground of the pitfall crumbles and collapses. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are sent falling down another hole.

Jessie demands, "Hey, who put a pitfall at the bottom of our pitfall?"

James and Meowth both say, "Not me," at the same time. The three of them peer out over the edge and down into the hole.

Wobbuffet then appears again. "Wobbuffet!" When it does, the ground beneath Team Rocket crumbles, and they too are sent falling down into the hole.

They all shout, "Team Rocket's falling down again!"

Everyone is now falling down a tunnel shaft. At a fork in the shaft, Ash and Brock are sent one way, while Brenda is sent another. Team Rocket at first goes the same way as Ash and Brock, but then separate into yet another shaft.

Ash and Brock are sent out of the shaft and land with a thud in a cave. Brock asks, "Are you alright?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, I'm fine. How about you Brenda?" When there's no response, Ash looks around and sees that Brenda isn't with them.

Brock realizes, "Brenda must have fallen through a different tunnel than us."

Ash calls out, "Brenda, can you hear me!?"

Pikachu adds, "Pika pi!?"

There's no answer. Brock suggests, "There's nothing we can do but move forward and look for her."

Ash nods in agreement. "Let's do that."

* * *

Brenda is also deposited from her shaft into a large cave. She gets up and pats the dust off her clothes. She looks around and realizes that she's alone. She calls out, "Ash!? Brock!?" There's no reply. She's about to call out again, but then she has second thoughts and sighs. She sits down on a rock and asks herself, "What's the point?"

She begins to have flashbacks to her previous contest. She thinks about each of the times that Kappaqua and Glitterfly not only failed to perform well, but performed awfully. Brenda sighs again. "I can't even stick with the group. I can't do anything right…"

Just then a Pokémon floats by. The Pokémon looks like it's some sort of floating icicle. Its body is composed of one large main icicle and two smaller icicles on either side of it. On the center of the main icicle it has a face. The Pokémon floats past Brenda at first, but then stops and turns around. It floats in front of Brenda, smiles, and greets, "Frost frost."

Brenda looks up to it for moment, but then just lets her head hang again.

The Pokémon looks at her and asks, "Frost?"

Brenda tries to shoo it away. "Just leave me alone."

The Pokémon backs off at first, but then approaches her again. It begins to float around Brenda, smiling, and saying, "Frost frost frost frost!" Brenda just ignores it. The Pokémon stops to think. It exclaims, "Frost!" as it seems to get an idea. It blows a breath of cold air in Brenda's face. This gets Brenda look up. As soon as she does, the Pokémon flies back a couple of feet and then blows another breath of cold air, probably an Icy Wind attack. It blows in such way that it creates whirlwind of snow. It then uses an Aurora Beam and freezes the whirlwind, creating a small cone of ice. It glitters with the light from the Aurora Beam.

Brenda smiles faintly and says quietly, "That's so beautiful…"

The Pokémon smiles, its mission apparently accomplished. "Frost frost."

Brenda looks at it and asks, "You're a Frostcicle, aren't you?"

The Pokémon nods. "Frost."

"And you just wanted to cheer me up. Is that what you were doing?"

Frostcicle nods again. "Frost."

Brenda's smile fades and she hangs her head. "I'm sorry, you don't need to worry about me. I'm not worth the effort…"

Frostcicle shakes its head and denies, "Frost frost." It nudges her. It then turns around and begins to float away.

Brenda sighs and says, "I knew you'd figure it out…"

But then Frostcicle calls out, "Frost frost! Frost frost!"

Brenda looks up to it. Frostcicle seems to be urging Brenda to follow. Brenda shrugs. "Alright, fine. You win, I'll follow you."

Frostcicle cheers, "Frost!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**These Pokémon crawl out of the ocean using their arms. They will attack prey on shore and immediately drag it into the ocean.**

* * *

Ash, Pikachu, and Brock are still walking through the cave, searching for Brenda. Brock observes, "We've been going uphill for a while now. Either we've got to be nearing the surface, or we're just climbing higher up the mountain."

Ash says, "Hopefully it's the first. I want to get out of here." Brock nods in agreement.

Off in the distance a sound can be heard. It sounds like something crying. Brock stops and asks, "Can you hear that?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, I can. I think someone's crying." Ash runs off to go check it out. Brock follows. Around a turn, they find a Cubchoo sitting on the floor and crying.

Brock goes up to it, bends down to its level, and asks, "Hey little guy, are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Cubchoo looks up to Brock and points to its leg. A reddish spot is on it.

As one might address a child, Brock says, "Aw, did you scrape your knee? Don't worry, Doctor Brock has just what you need." Brock kneels down and pulls off his backpack. After digging around for a second, he pulls out a Potion. "Now, just stand still and you'll be feeling better in no time." He sprays the Potion on Cubchoo's leg. The red spot fades. "There, all better."

Cubchoo stops crying and looks at its leg curiously. It then looks up to Brock and exclaims, "Cubchoo!"

Brock grins, "You're welcome." Brock stands back up. He then says, "Something isn't right here."

Ash asks, "What is it?"

"Even if we have been going up in elevation, we're nowhere near the snowline, where this Cubchoo should be living. I think it got lost."

Ash asks, "Is that true Cubchoo? Are you lost?"

Cubchoo nods. "Cubchoo…"

Ash then declares, "Then don't worry, we'll get you back home."

Cubchoo smiles and exclaims, "Cubchoo!"

Brock points out, "If we just keep on following the cave the way we have been, we might just be able to make it up to the snowline."

"Then what are waiting for? Let's get Cubchoo home."

* * *

**It's Eelektross!**

* * *

Frostcicle continues to lead Brenda through the cave. Brenda suddenly stops and shivers. "It's getting cold in here."

Frostcicle smiles and nods happily. "Frost!"

"Oh yeah, you probably like that, don't you? I still don't get it though. Where are you bringing me?"

Frostcicle replies, "Frost frost frost," as if saying, "Wait and you'll find out."

Brenda sighs. "Alright, fine." After they walk a few more moments, they turn around a corner. Now ahead of them is the exit to the cave. The light coming in is so bright that Brenda is forced to shield her eyes. She steps out into the light. Once her eyes adapt she looks around. She is in a snow-covered, forested area near the top of the mountain. Ice-Type Pokémon run around everywhere, including Snover, Snorunt, Bergmite, and Swinub. Brenda observes, "This must be your home, right?"

Frostcicle nods. "Frost."

"But why you bring me here?"

Frostcicle floats forward and looks over the landscape, especially the Pokémon. The various ice Pokémon are all playing various winter games in snow and ice. Frostcicle happily exclaims, "Frost frost frost!"

Brenda hangs her head again. "Oh…you wanted me to play with you, didn't you?"

Frostcicle floats up to Brenda and nudges her from behind to move forward, encouraging, "Frost! Frost!"

Brenda says, "No, please, I really I don't feel up to it right now."

But Frostcicle continues to insist. "Frost."

Brenda sighs and admits defeat. "Alright fine. We can play." She then adds, "A little."

Frostcicle cheers, "Frost!" Frostcicle leads Brenda down a hill to where all the other Ice-Types are playing. It calls out, "Frost, frost!"

All the Pokémon look over to see Frostcicle and Brenda. They all cheer in joy.

First, they all work together to build a snowman. Brenda stands back and watches for most of it, but when she sees the Pokémon having trouble putting the head on, she helps them out. Then all the Pokémon are sitting on a large sleigh made of ice at the top of a hill. The Pokémon all beckon and call for Brenda to join them. She reluctantly does and sits down on the sled. While they're going down the hill, she actually cracks a slight smile. Then it's time for a snowball fight. Brenda is making a snowball. She stops, looks at the snowball and sighs. But then Snover hits her in the face with a snowball. She looks over to it, and it's laughing at her. She then grins and throws her snowball at it. Last, they all make snow angels, or at least try to, as most of the Pokémon have a hard time do to their body shapes. Brenda laughs at all the Pokémon struggling, and then makes her own. They all start to laugh together.

After all that's done, Brenda, now happy, says to Frostcicle, "Thanks so much for that, I really needed something like that to cheer me up."

Frostcicle happily replies, "Frost frost."

Brenda looks to the cave entrance behind her and says, "I really am sorry, but I should be going now. I have friends who are probably worried about me, and to be honest," Brenda shivers, "it's just a little too cold for me here."

Frostcicle nods in understanding. "Frost."

Brenda waves. "Goodbye everyone!" All the ice Pokémon wave back and say goodbye too. Brenda turns around and leaves for the cave.

Just before she turns around the corner in the tunnel, she hears the ice Pokémon cry out in what sounds like distress. She instantly turns around and runs back out. Once there, she sees that three Beartic have appeared. They roar fiercely, frightening the other ice Pokémon. Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Beartic, the Freezing Pokémon and an Ice-Type. The icicles on Beartic's chin form from the moisture in its breath being frozen by its low internal body temperature. Beartic will fiercely protect their young. Evolves from Cubchoo at level 37."

The lead Beartic roars once more, "Beeeaaaartic!" and then unleashes an Ice Beam attack at the Pokémon. The other two Beartic follow its lead and begin unleashing a constant Ice Beam all around the area, destroying the various play-places of the Pokémon. They also destroy the snowman Brenda helped them build. All the ice Pokémon run around and panic.

Brenda responds by instinct and pulls a Pokéball out. Just as she's about to throw it, she has a flashback to her loss at the Pokémon Contest. She freezes in place. She lowers her arm and sighs, unsure of what to do. She then turns around and sulkily walks away. She says to herself, "They're better off without me screwing everything up." She goes into the cave without looking back.

After walking a little into the cave, behind her she hears, "Frost frost! Frost frost!" Brenda turns around to see Frostcicle floating up towards her. It begs, "Frost, frost frost frost, frost!"

Brenda shakes her head. "I'm sorry, but you don't want me helping you. I only make things worse. I can't do anything right at all."

Frostcicle shakes its head. "Frost frost."

"No, it's true. You wouldn't be asking for my help if you had seen what just happened to me yesterday. After what I did, I know that I'm not cut out to be a Pokémon Trainer, let alone a Coordinator."

Frostcicle looks Brenda straight in the eyes with determination, it then floats behind her and pushes her back out the cave. Once they're out, it looks over the scene in front of them and declares, "Frost frost frost. Frost frost, frost!"

Brenda sees the ice Pokémon all fleeing in terror. They might find a hiding place, but then one of the Beartic will destroy it. The Beartic continue their destructive rampage, with no end in sight.

Brenda shakes her head. "No, I can't do it. I just can't."

Frostcicle shouts at her, "Frost frost! Frost frost frost!"

Brenda clenches her fists. She then nods. "Alright fine…I'll help." She reluctantly reaches for a Pokéball. She tosses it. "Go, Glitterfly."

Glitterfly appears and asks Brenda, "Glittererer?"

"Don't worry about me right now, we're trying to help these Pokémon." Glitterfly nods. Brenda notices that an Ice Beam from a Beartic is about to hit a Swinub. Suddenly in a better mood, Brenda orders, "Quickly Glitterfly, intercept that Ice Beam with Signal Beam!" Glitterfly fires its beam of rainbow light at the Ice Beam. The two beams collide and explode.

The Beartic looks angrily towards Glitterfly and Brenda and roars, "Beeeeaaartic!" It beckons for the other two Beartic to join it. Together, the three of them all attack Glitterfly with an Ice Beam.

"Alright Glitterfly, Sparkling Flare!" Glitterfly unleashes a sparkling pulse of light, which manages to repel all three attacks, and knock the Beartic back a little. Now starting to really get into the battle, Brenda orders, "Great, now let's tangle them up with String Shot!" Glitterfly spews a sticky silk from its mouth that falls on the Beartic. However, the Beartic easily rip their way out.

Each Beartic then successively creates a handful of giant icicles and hurl them at Glitterfly, an Icicle Crash attack. Glitterfly barely dodges the first round of icicles, but is then knocked to the ground by the second round. The third and final round, the largest and most numerous icicles, are now plummeting straight down towards Glitterfly.

Brenda shouts, "Quickly Glitterfly, you've got to get out of there." Glitterfly is too weak to move. Brenda shakes her head in despair. She says to herself, "I knew I'd mess things up. I'm so sorry Glitterfly…"

But then, right before the icicles hit Glitterfly, they are blown away by an Icy Wind attack. Brenda looks to the side to see Frostcicle is the source of the attack. It declares, "Frost frost!"

Brenda is shocked. She asks, "Do you really want to help me out Frostcicle?"

Frostcicle nods. "Frost."

Brenda regains some confidence. "Alright then, you can use Icy Wind and Aurora Beam I already know. What else can you do?"

The inside of Frostcicle begins to glow an orangish color. The energy gathered is then refracted and focused through its crystalline body, and then released as a beam of energy. It sweeps the beam across all three Beartic, hitting all of them.

Brenda nods. "That was a Crystal Beam attack, it's a Rock-Type and super effective against Ice-Types like Beartic. Good job!" Brenda recalls Glitterfly to its Pokéball and focuses on Frostcicle and the Beartic. The Beartic quickly recover, and each launches an Icicle Crash at Frostcicle. Brenda quickly suggests, "Why don't you freeze all those icicles together with an Aurora Beam?"

Frostcicle nods in agreement. It the attacks with an Aurora Beam, which causes all the icicles to freeze together. The massive clump of ice formed just falls to the ground and shatters. The Beartic all get incredibly angry. They stomp and roar with rage.

Brenda grins. "It looks like we're getting to them. Why don't we go for another Crystal Beam?" Frostcicle nods in agreement and attacks with its focused energy again.

This time the Beartic are ready, they use a Protect attack to block the beam, they then immediately counterattack with Blizzard. The three combined Blizzards hit Frostcicle and knock it to the ground.

"Frostcicle! Are you okay?"

Frostcicle floats back up. It grunts, "Frost frost…"

Brenda thinks, _These Beartic are tough. They just keep on taking hit after hit and continue to deal damage to Frostcicle. I don't know if we can keep up like this. Something needs to change._

That's when she hears Ash call from behind her, "Hey Brenda, over here!"

Brenda looks back to see Ash and Brock emerge from the cave. Cubchoo is following them. Upon seeing the Cubchoo, Brenda realizes something. She turns back to Frostcicle and asks, "Hey Frostcicle, can you doing anything to distract these Beartic?"

Frostcicle nods. "Frost." It then expels from its mouth a white mist. The mist spreads, enshrouding the Beartic in a thick fog. This confuses them, as they can no longer see.

Brenda nods. "Good job, a Mist attack is exactly what we needed." She runs over to Ash and Brock.

Brock begins to say, "I'm glad we found-"

Brenda cuts him off, "I'm sorry, but did you find this Cubchoo in the cave?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, it was all alone and crying."

Brenda nods. "Good." She lifts up the Cubchoo and runs towards the cloud of fog obscuring the Beartic. Ash and Brock swap puzzled looks.

Brenda sneaks into the mist silently, tiptoes up to the Beartic, who can't see her and sets down the Cubchoo. She then sneaks back out. Just as she does, the mist clears. The lead Beartic is just about to launch another attack at Brenda and Frostcicle, but then one of the other Beartic points to the Cubchoo now sitting on the floor in front of them. The lead Beartic picks up the Cubchoo ad happily exclaims, "Beartic!"

The Cubchoo excitedly shouts, "Cubchoo!"

As if nothing had happened, the Beartic then just turn around and leave with the Cubchoo. Brenda smiles. "I knew that would do the trick." All of the ice Pokémon come out of hiding and cheer for Brenda.

Ash and Brock walk up behind Brenda. Ash comments, "Well Brenda, you seem happier than you were before."

Slightly embarrassed, Brenda answers, "Oh…really? I hadn't noticed."

Brock asks, "So what exactly just happened?"

Brenda beckons for Frostcicle to come over to her. "This little Pokémon here brought here to try to cheer me up. But then those Beartic came in and started to attack anything that moved and destroyed everything else. Frostcicle and I were trying to fight off the Beartic, but it wasn't working. Then you came with the Cubchoo. I remembered Beartic's Pokédex entry that said it would protect its young, and I instantly made the connection that they must have lost the Cubchoo you found and thought it was here somewhere."

Ash says, "Wow Brenda, that's great. You see, there's nothing to worry about at all. You can handle yourself just fine."

Brenda thinks about it for a moment. "I guess I can." She smiles.

Ash looks to Frostcicle. "Thanks for cheering her up."

Frostcicle smiles. "Frost frost."

Ash pulls out his Pokédex, "Frostcicle, the Ice Spike Pokémon and an Ice-Type. This Pokémon lives only where the temperature remains constantly below freezing. When resting, Frostcicle will attach itself to a branch or other overhanging object, allowing it to grow in size as it takes on more ice. Does not evolve."

Brock looks around. "I think we're at the top of the mountain. If we just head forward, I bet we could find a path to take us back down the other side and into Starcore City."

Ash exclaims, "Great! Let's go, I'm ready for my gym battle!" The three of them walk off.

Brenda stops, and looks back to Frostcicle. Frostcicle looks to her too. It then turns and says something to its Ice-Type friends that have gathered around. They all nod in agreement at whatever it is. Frostcicle then floats over to Brenda and declares, "Frost frost, frost frost."

Brenda asks, "What is it Frostcicle?"

Ash laughs. "I think Frostcicle wants to go with you. From your story it sounds like you two make a good team."

Brock adds, "Not to mention, it'd be nice to have a Pokémon that's good at cheering people up."

Brenda asks, "Is that true Frostcicle? Do you want to come with me?"

Frostcicle nods. "Frost."

Brenda grins. "Alright then." She takes a few steps back and pulls out a Pokéball. She tosses it at Frostcicle. "Go, Pokéball!" The Pokéball wiggles once…twice…three times…and clicks. Brenda runs over to it, holds it into the air and declares, "So cool, Frostcicle is all mine!"

All the ice Pokémon wave goodbye. Brenda waves back.

_At what couldn't have been a better time, Brenda has made a new friend, one that will certainly always make sure she has a smile on her face, as the journey continues._

* * *

Team Rocket is up against a wall in a cave, trying to get away from something. James cries in despair, "This is it for Team Rocket, we can't go any further!"

Meowth looks at Jessie and accuses, "You just had to go and touch it, didn't you?"

Jessie defends herself, "Hey, if I see such a cutesy Pokémon, I'm going to go and give it hug. I just can't resist such cuteness."

Stomping in towards Team Rocket are the three Beartic. Behind one of them is the Cubchoo. The Beartic prepare to use Ice Beam. Team Rocket screams in terror.

**To Be Continued…**


	41. Episode 41: The Ghost in the Machine

Episode 41: The Ghost in the Machine

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are just entering a city completely surrounded by mountains. Brock declares, "Here we are, Starcore City, the heart of the Tenno Region, and its power generator."

Ash exclaims, "Alright, I'm ready for my gym battle! Here I come Starcore Gym!"

They walk into the city. After they're gone, a power line above where they were standing begins to spark. After a moment of that, a Rotom pops out of the wire. It chuckles, "Rotom tom tom tom." It goes back into the wire and the sparks travel across the wire, out of sight.

_That's right, having crossed Mt. Corona, our heroes have finally made it to Starcore City, site of Ash's next Tenno League gym battle. Ash may be ready, but is the gym leader?_

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have arrived outside the doors to the gym. Ash reading a sign posted to the door. He demands, "What do you mean the Gym Leader isn't available!?"

Brock reads the notice, "Attention challengers, Neutrina, the Starcore Gym Leader, is currently unavailable. Please come again at another time. Sorry for any inconveniences."

Brenda comments, "That's too bad."

Ash shouts into the sky, "Why wouldn't the Gym Leader be in the gym? What else could possibly be more important?"

A passing by man asks, "Do you not know who this city's gym leader is?"

Ash turns to him and shakes his head. "No, actually I don't."

The man explains, "Neutrina is also the head technician at the Starcore Nuclear Power Plant. She has arguably the most important job there, as she makes sure that the reactor doesn't go into meltdown. And that power plant is the source of all the electricity in the Tenno Region."

Ash admits, "Oh…I guess that's pretty important."

The man chuckles and walks off.

Ash is bummed out now. Brenda suggests, "Hey, why don't we go check out the power plant?"

Ash suddenly cheers up. "Yeah, that's a great idea. Maybe we'll find Neutrina there. Come on!" He runs off towards the power plant, recognizable by its iconic cooling towers.

* * *

Ash is standing in front of a counter in a lobby. He demands, "What do you mean I can't go in!?"

The man standing behind the desk responds calmly, "I'm sorry sir, but Miss Neutrina is currently preoccupied with repairs to the reactor's vital systems. And it would be much too dangerous to allow a civilian in. You are going to have to wait."

"But I don't want to wait. I came here for a battle with Neutrina, and I am going to get it."

"I am sorry, but there really is nothing I can do about that."

Ash nods slowly as he seems to try to think of something. "Yeah…" He then points to a board showing a digital display of the condition of the power plant and exclaims, "Oh no! It looks like one of your reactors is malfunctioning!"

The man panics he quickly looks to the board, asking, "What, which one!?"

Ash silently chuckles, and runs through the door behind the counter. Brock and Brenda look to each other, uncertain of what to do. They follow Ash in.

The man turns back around. "I see no malfunctions reported…" He trails off as realizes Ash, Brock, and Brenda are gone. He shakes his head and sighs.

Ash and Pikachu are now running through a corridor into the interior of the power plant. Brenda calls up to him from behind, "Ash, what are you doing?"

Ash looks back and responds, "I'm going to find Neutrina, that's what I'm doing."

Brock objects, "But it could be dangerous back here. We're in a nuclear power plant."

Ash shrugs it off. "We'll be fine."

Brenda suddenly shouts, "Ash, stop running!"

Ash, still looking backwards, asks, "Why, what's-" He is cut off when he runs right into a wall at the end of the corridor.

Brenda says, "That's wrong…"

Ash gets back up and quickly recovers. He looks over the wall he crashed into. It's not a wall at all, but rather a massive metal door. Brock observes, "Well, it seems like that's as far as we can go. We better turn back."

Just before Ash responds, a siren goes off. The three of them panic and look around to see what's going on. Then the door begins to slide upwards and open. Ash cheers, "Yeah, someone must be opening the door for us."

As the door slides up, a silhouette can be seen on the other side, but its features are impossible to make out due to a bright light behind it. The figure steps out. Brenda leaps back and shouts, "It's a monster!"

Standing there is a person wearing a bulky, yellow hazmat suit. The door shuts behind the person, and the person removes the mask of the suit. The person is a woman with long black hair. She giggles. "I'm no monster, that's just my protective suit for when I'm working on the reactor."

Brenda calms down. She says with slight embarrassment, "Oh…okay then…"

The woman asks, "You three don't seem to belong here. What are you doing back here?"

Ash declares, "I'm looking for Neutrina so I can challenge her to a battle and earn my third Tenno gym badge."

The woman nods. "Is that so? And how did you get past the front desk?"

Before Ash can answer, a shout comes from behind, "Get back here you kids!" Everyone looks back to see the man from the front desk running towards them. He catches up with them and scolds, "I told you that civilians shouldn't be back here, now come with me this instant!"

The woman laughs. "It's okay, they're with me."

The man looks up to her with surprise. "Miss Neutrina…I'm sorry…I didn't realize…"

She smiles. "It's fine. Go back to your desk, I'll watch over the kids."

"Right, of course. Yes ma'am." He turns around and leaves.

Ash asks with shock, "You're Neutrina?"

She nods. "The one and only."

Ash grins. "That's great. I challenge you to a gym battle."

"I'd be happy to accept."

Before anything else can be said, all the lights around them flicker. Brenda asks, "What was that?"

Neutrina looks around in confusion. "I don't know." She pulls out a radio and says to it, "Neutrina to central control, is everything alright up there?"

A voice responds back, "No, we're having a problem. Get up here as soon as you can."

Brock asks, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. Central control is where the computers that run this entire operation are housed. If something's going wrong up there, that's not good. Sorry, but I've got to go check this out." She turns to leave.

Ash says, "We'll go with you. Maybe we could help."

Neutrina nods. "Sure, just be careful." They follow her out.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**Using the feelers on its head and tail, this Pokémon picks up vibrations in the air to determine its prey's location and state.**

* * *

The four of them have made it up to the central control room. The moment they walk in everything seems to be complete chaos. Electrical discharges send electricity flying all around the room. The different pieces of machinery all seem to be going haywire. Neutrina demands, "What's going on here!?"

One of the workers replies, "A Pokémon just appeared in here and began wreaking havoc on our systems!"

Then, out of a piece of machinery on the far side of the room, a Rotom emerges. Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon and an Electric and Ghost Combo-Type. This Pokémon feeds off of pure electrical energy. It can also insert itself into electrical devices and take control over them. Does not Evolve."

Brock exclaims, "Rotom feed off of electricity, so it must have seen this power plant as an all-you-can-eat buffet!"

Neutrina orders, "We have to get it out of here right away! Before it ruins any critical systems!"

All the workers in the room nod and say, "Right," at the same time. One leaps at the Rotom and tries to grab it, but the Rotom just zips away. Another tries to grab it again, but Rotom avoids it once more. The Rotom laughs at them. It then notices the large computer system at the center of the room. It moves straight towards it and plunges into it.

One technician worries, "Oh no, this is not good. This is not good at all."

Ash asks, "What, what is it?"

Neutrina explains, "That computer is the machine that uses the most electricity in this room, so it's natural that Rotom would be attracted to it. Problem is, it's also connected to the central mainframe that monitors and controls this entire station. If Rotom messes something up, we could have a disaster on our hands." Neutrina runs over to the computer and begins to type away furiously at it. She types in a command, but it is rejected. An icon of a Rotom laughing appears on the screen, along with an error message. "This is not good. There is nothing that I can do to get Rotom out from here, it's already seized control of the mainframe."

One technician suggests, "We may not be able to get it out from the outside, but what about the inside?"

Neutrina looks to him and exclaims, "That's a great idea! We haven't tested the system yet, but I don't think we have any other choice."

Brenda asks, "What does he mean by the inside?"

Neutrina walks to the other side of the room and slides open a door, revealing a room with even more machinery, one piece of which looks like a giant glass tube. She explains, "We recently acquired an alternative method of removing viruses from our computer, one that should be much more efficient." She walks into the room and towards the glass tube. From a table next to it she picks up a Pokéball and tosses it. A Porygon appears from it.

Brenda takes back out her Pokédex. "Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon and a Light-Type. Porygon was first created in a simulation inside of a supercomputer. The simulation was so powerful that it gave rise to a living being that could exist in the real world. Evolves into Porygon2 with the Up-Grade."

Neutrina explains, "You see, as Porygon are computer programs, they can be sent into cyberspace to eliminate nay bugs and viruses using this transport system here."

Brock nods. "We've seen something like this before."

Ash questions, "We have?"

Brock nods. "Remember that time when Team Rocket stole a Porygon and made their way into cyberspace to steal Pokémon from the transporter?"

Ash realizes what Brock is referring to. "Oh yeah, I forgot that happened."

From outside a window, Team Rocket is on eavesdropping from their balloon. James comments, "You know, that entire experience had left my head too, until just now."

Meowth remarks, "Odd, considering it was such a _flashy_ experience."

James rubs his forehead. "Of course…my head still hurts from it."

Jessie then says, "And that was the chance of a lifetime, we could have stolen so many Pokémon that day. I say we try again."

James and Meowth both agree, "Right."

Wobbuffet also appears and agrees, "Wobbuffet!"

Back inside, Neutrina is saying, "In addition to Porygon, we should also be able to send in people." She looks to the technicians. "I'll go in."

Ash then volunteers, "We'll go too."

Neutrina shakes her head. "No, it's far too dangerous in cyberspace. If something happens there, you can never return here. I'm going in alone."

One of the technicians approaches the transport device's control panel and activates the machine. He says, "Alright, you're free to go. Step inside with Porygon and I'll transport you."

Neutrina nods. "Come on, Porygon." She and Porygon enter the tube.

The machine is activated. The chamber begins to glow. Just as the transfer process is initiated, Team Rocket leaps in through the window and jumps into the tube. They are all transported. A technician asks, "What just happened!? Who were they!?"

Ash explains, "That was Team Rocket, and if they've made it into cyberspace then we're in trouble. You have to send us in too."

The technician resists, "But Miss Neutrina said-"

Ash cuts him off, "She didn't know that Team Rocket would follow her. You need to let us in."

The technician sighs. "Alright, fine. Get in the tube."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda get in. The technician begins the transport process again. Their bodies are digitized and transported.

They reappear inside the virtual world. They're standing on a floating platform in a black void. The space around them is filled with a rapidly changing sequence of the ones and zeroes of binary code. Data streams flow all over the place as well. What doesn't seem right is that all of these streams have taken on the color of Rotom. They look just ahead of them and see Neutrina and Porygon. Neutrina is on the ground, rubbing her forehead.

Ash runs over to her and asks, "Are you okay Neutrina?"

She nods and gets up. "Yeah…I'm fine. Those three clowns that came in with me knocked me to the ground as soon as we appeared and then ran away. What are you doing here?"

Ash explains, "When we saw Team Rocket come in, we decided we had to help."

Brenda adds, "Fighting them is kind of our specialty."

Neutrina sighs and nods. "Alright, since you're here anyways, you might as well help. And now we've got two problems to deal with. We have to stop Rotom _and_ Team Rocket from damaging any critical systems."

Brock asks, "So what do we do?"

"Since Rotom has already connected itself to the mainframe, it's priority number one. We'll go after Team Rocket once Rotom is taken care of." She looks toward Porygon and asks, "Porygon, can you take us to the CPU?"

Porygon nods. It then grows several times in size. It is now large enough to carry them. Neutrina climbs onto its back, Ash, Brock, and Brenda follow. Porygon floats off.

* * *

**It's Venipede!**

* * *

Porygon is floating through the data sea of binary code. Brock asks, "This place is so large, how are we supposed to find the CPU?"

Neutrina points to a data stream below them. All the data in this computer must go through the Central Processing Unit at some time or another. If we follow a data stream for long enough, it will take us to the CPU, where Rotom has lodged itself." After a while more of traveling, she points ahead, "Actually, there it is now."

Ahead of them, floating in cyberspace, is a large orange bulb-like object. All of the various data streams flow in and out of it. Brenda asks, "Alright, but where's Rotom?"

As she asks this, the surface of the bulb become electrified. Two tendrils of electricity extend out of its bottom. Then two eyes and a mouth open opens on its surface. Data ceases to flow through it. It laughs, "Rotom tom tom tom!" It's a giant Rotom now.

Ash exclaims, "It _is_ the CPU!"

Neutrina nods. "Just as Rotom can meld with electronics, it has with the CPU as well. We have to get it to separate. Porygon, you need to battle it."

Porygon nods. It flies down to a nearby platform and sets its passengers down. It then floats over to Rotom and declares in an electronic voice, "Porygon!"

Rotom looks at it and laughs again. "Rotom tom tom tom tom tom!" It then unleashes a bolt of lightning at Porygon with a Discharge attack.

Porygon doesn't flinch. Instead it emits a scanning beam and scans the bolt. Porygon's surface transforms into a ground-like texture. The Discharge hits Porygon, but does nothing.

Brenda asks, "What did Porygon just do?"

Brock answers, "It just used Conversion 2, a special move created by programmers just for it. It scans an attack and changes its type so that it resists that attack. Since it was about to be hit by an Electric-Type move, it became a Ground-Type to block it."

Rotom doesn't seem to like the fact that its attack was absorbed so effortlessly. It shouts, "Rotom!" Then, next to it, a washing machine appears. Rotom absorbs it and transforms into Wash Rotom.

Neutrina exclaims, "Oh no, Rotom is using the computer's simulation programs to create appliances to change forms!"

Rotom unleashes a powerful Hydro Pump at Porygon. Porygon scans it and transforms into a Grass-Type, with a wooden surface. However, while it is doing this, Rotom has created an oven and absorbed it, turning into Heat Rotom. It quickly attacks with Overheat. Porygon has no time to scan or dodge it. Porygon transforms back into its original form, and tumbles away through cyberspace.

Ash encourages, "Come on Porygon, you've got to bounce back!"

Porygon regains control over itself. It then uses Sharpen to make its beak longer and sharper. It flies towards Rotom and jabs its beak at it. The Pokémon engage in close quarters combat. Porygon continuously thrusts its sharpened beak at Rotom, Rotom dodges from side to side. Rotom then generates a lamp and absorbs it, transforming into a new form. Its head and face are at the base of the lamp, with a cylinder coming up and out of it. The top of it is covered by a lampshade, from which light is coming. It is surrounded by a light-yellow shade of electricity, and has two "arms" of electricity coming out from the underside of the lampshade. It's Lamp Rotom, and it unleashes a tremendous flash of light that pulses out from it, a Lightray Pulse.

Porygon is stunned by the attack and sent hurtling back again.

* * *

Back in the lab, the technicians are all watching the progress of the battle on the computer screen. The pixilated sprites of Porygon and Rotom are displayed. What seems to be a health bar is displayed next to each sprite, and Porygon's is much lower. One technician says, "There's got to be something we can do to help. Porygon is losing!"

Another technician suddenly exclaims, "Wait a second, I have an idea! When we purchased Porygon, it came with a software upgrade." He runs into the room where Porygon was held, and then returns waving a disc in the air.

The first technician says, "That's a great idea, download it right away!"

* * *

Back in cyberspace, Brenda says, "This battle isn't going well for Porygon at all. Isn't there any way we can help it? What if we used our Pokémon?"

Neutrina shakes her head. "No, Rotom has control over the CPU, it's much too powerful to fight in here for us. Porygon is the only one who can work around that advantage."

Porygon tries to go in for another jab with its beak, but Rotom transforms into Fan Rotom and uses Air Slash to blow it back away, sending it tumbling again. Then Porygon begins to glow. All of its rugged edges can be seen smoothing out.

Brenda asks, "What's happening?"

Neutrina grins. "My technicians are upgrading Porygon! They must have installed that Up-Grade we got. I had forgotten entirely about it."

Porygon stops glowing, revealing it has transformed into Porygon2. Brenda takes out her Pokédex. "Porygon2, the Virtual Pokémon and a Light-Type. Having been upgraded, its graphics are not the only thing that improved. It has now possess an AI program more powerful than before, complete with emotions. Evolves from Porygon using the Up-Grade and into Porygon-Z using the Dubious Disc."

Brock marvels, "Of course a Pokémon made in a computer can evolve by having its software updated."

Ash exclaims, "Wow, science is so amazing!"

The newly updated Porygon2 unleashes a Signal Beam at Rotom, hitting it dead on. Rotom is even angrier now. It shouts, "Rotom tom tom!" It then begins to rapidly change forms. It becomes Mow Rotom and launches a Leaf Storm, Frost Rotom and launches a Blizzard, Lamp Rotom and launches a Lightray Pulse, Fan Rotom and launches an Air Slash, Wash Rotom and launches a Hydro Pump, and Heat Rotom and launches an Overheat.

Porygon2 manages to dodge the first several attacks, but it eventually succumbs to the blitz of attacks, and is hit by several of them.

* * *

Back in the control room, a technician exclaims, "It's not enough! Even with the Up-grade Porygon2 can't defeat Rotom! We need to find a way to give it more power!"

One technician begins to say something, but stops.

The first asks, "What? What is it? Any suggestion could help."

"Well…there is always that one… aftermarket part we acquired…"

Another technician objects, "That's crazy! They specifically told us not to use that one! It hasn't gone through proper beta testing yet! It's full of bugs!"

The first technician shakes his head. "No, we need to use any advantage we can get, or we can say goodbye to this power plant."

* * *

Porygon2 is looking fairly weak. It attempts to attack with another Signal Beam, but Rotom effortlessly deflects it with a Discharge. Then Rotom immediately transforms into Mow Rotom and launches a Leaf Storm, further devastating Porygon2.

Brock observes, "Even with its upgrade, Rotom is too powerful for Porygon2."

And then Porygon2 begins to glow again. Neutrina's eyes go wide with shock. "No…they wouldn't…"

Porygon2's shape transforms completely. The light fades and a Porygon-Z is revealed. Brenda exclaims, "That's great, they upgraded Porygon again. Maybe now it can defeat Rotom."

Neutrina shakes her head. "No, check your Pokédex. This is not a good thing."

Brenda takes out her Pokédex once more. "Porygon-Z, the Virtual Pokémon and a Light-Type. A new update was developed for Porygon's software, but it was soon discovered to not be completely compatible with Porygon's program, causing glitches and bugs to manifest. Evolves from Porygon2 with use of the Dubious Disc."

Brock realizes, "So those glitches could hurt it more than its extra strength helps it."

Neutrina nods. "I told them never to use that Dubious Disc after I heard one of them bought it. I guess they decided that this was an exception."

Porygon-Z shouts in a booming electronic voice, "Porygon!" It then launches three attacks, a Zap Cannon from one arm, a Signal Beam from the other, and a Hyper Beam from its mouth. The three attacks all hit Rotom. Rotom attempts to fight back by transforming into Frost Rotom and attacking with Blizzard, but Porygon-Z launches a wave of Zap Cannons that neutralizes the attack and impacts Rotom. Without even waiting for the smoke to clear, Porygon-Z then sends a massive Hyper Beam at Rotom. The smoke clears, and Rotom has fainted. It is ejected from the CPU, the CPU transforms into a silvery-blue sphere, and the data streams return to flowing through it. The now normal-sized Rotom then disappears.

* * *

Rotom is flung out of the computer's screen. The technicians all cheer. One says, "Quickly, use a Pokéball on it!" Another takes out a Pokéball and throws it. Taken by surprise, Rotom is absorbed by the Pokéball. It shakes once… twice… The technicians watch nervously. It shakes a third time… and clicks, capturing Rotom.

* * *

Brenda cheers, "Yeah, Porygon-Z just defeated Rotom! None of those glitches even happened!"

Neutrina points up to Porygon-Z and says, "I wouldn't be too sure of that."

Porygon-Z is rapidly vibrating, and its head and arms are twitching. It then declares in an almost menacing voice, "Porygon!" It then begins to fire Hyper Beams everywhere. Destroying and disrupting data streams and other structures.

Neutrina says, "And that would be the glitches taking over. We can't let it keep this up, or it will have the same or even worse effect that Rotom would have had."

Ash shouts, "Porygon-Z, you have to stop this! You're going to destroy everything!"

Porygon-Z doesn't listen, it just continues to spam Hyper Beams.

Neutrina warns, "If it harms the CPU, then everything's over!"

Suddenly, James shouts, "Porygon-Z isn't the only thing you should be worrying about!" Team Rocket leaps down from above and lands on top of the CPU.

Jessie declares, "Alright Meowth, let's download our software."

Meowth nods. "Way ahead of you." Meowth pulls out some sort of data storage chip and plunges it down into the CPU.

Neutrina shouts, "You get away from there right now!"

Jessie laughs. She then declares, "Prepare for trouble, why would I leave?"

James laughs to and adds, "Make it double, it's time for us to thieve!"

"To upload ourselves to the mainframe!"

"To get past any wall of flame!"

"To declare all out cyber warfare!"

"To leave you with an unhealthy dose of malware!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts through cyberspace at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare for a virtual fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Just as they finish their motto, the CPU transforms again. It is now black and has a massive red R displayed on its surface. Meowth declares, "This CPU now belongs to Team Rocket."

Meanwhile, Porygon-Z is still glitching, not paying any attention to what is going on with the CPU.

* * *

Back in the control room, a technician declares, "No, we've lost control of the computer again! Something else has taken control of it!" Everyone runs over to look. The screen of the computer is now taken up by one massive red R. The technician adds, "And Porygon-Z isn't responding to any command I send it."

Another technician points out, "We're losing data from the mainframe! Porygon-Z's glitches must be acting up! Miss Neutrina could be in serious dangerous now."

Another asks, "How do we fix Porygon?"

"I don't know." He points to another technician, "You, research this. We need to find out if there's any way to debug a Porygon-Z."

He nods. "Right away."

"And hurry, the fate of Miss Neutrina, those three kids, this entire power plant, and maybe the whole city rest on us solving this problem."

* * *

Ash shouts, "Get off of there right now, Team Rocket! That thing is delicate!"

Jessie responds, "I think the answer I'm looking for is…no!"

Brenda asks, "Neutrina, what should we do? Do we try to stop Team Rocket or Porygon-Z?"

"We've got to focus on Team Rocket, a threat to CPU is much greater than some data loss from Porygon-Z."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all nod. Ash shouts, "Go, Pikachu!"

Brock throws a Pokéball. "Go, Blissey!"

Brenda also throws a Pokéball, "Go, Frostcicle!"

Neutrina also pulls out a Pokéball, "Nucleaction, help us out!" Out of her Pokéball she releases a new Pokémon. It has a squat, but humanoid figure with a body made out of a metal-like material. Various parts of its body glow an eerie neon green. The front of its chest has something that resembles the grate in front of a furnace, through which an even brighter green glow can be seen.

Ash takes out his Pokédex. "Nucleaction, the Fission Pokémon and a Poison and Electric Combo-Type. Its body is powered by the force of nuclear fission, which is converted into electrical energy. Its body contains high amounts of lead, so it poses no danger of radiation poisoning to those around it. Evolves into Nucleactor at level 46."

Jessie commands of Meowth, "Make sure those twerpish Pokémon don't get anywhere near us."

Meowth nods. "Can do." He pulls out a remote control and begins to press a button. Before he does, he looks to the side and says, "Hey kids, you might want to avert your eyes. Just remember, no matter what happens here, Team Rocket is in no way liable."

James shouts, "Stop talking to yourself and push the button!"

Meowth shouts, "Hey, I'm giving the all-important disclaimer so we don't get sued!" He then presses the button. "Firing Team Rocket rockets!" On either side of the CPU, a hatch opens up, and a missile is fired. The two missiles fly towards Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Neutrina.

Ash quickly commands, "Stop them with Thunderbolt Pikachu!"

Pikachu leaps into the air and attacks. "Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu's Thunderbolt causes the rockets to prematurely explode, creating tremendous flashing.

Neutrina commands, "Nucleaction, use Charge Beam!" The Pokémon's green light begins to glow brighter for a moment, and then its hands become electrified. From them it fires a beam of electricity.

Meowth presses another button. Out of the panels on the sides of the CPU, a barrier is projected around Team Rocket, completely blocking the attack. He taunts, "It's going to take more than that!"

Brock commands, "Blissey, use Secret Power!" Blissey glows pink, and then unleashes the pink energy as a beam.

Brenda adds, "Frostcicle, use Aurora Beam!" Frostcicle attacks with a ray of rainbow colors.

Ash then says, "One more Thunderbolt, Pikachu!" Pikachu launches another attack. All four attacks are now hitting the barrier, but doing almost nothing to it.

Team Rocket laughs. James says, "You can't do anything to harm us as long as we control this CPU!"

Jessie adds, "We control the CPU, we control cyberspace!"

The Pokémon all stop attacking. Brenda asks, "What do we do? They're right, we can't touch them without Porygon's help."

Ash looks up to Porygon and shouts, "Come on Porygon-Z, you've got to snap out of it! We need your help!"

Neutrina shakes her head. "It's worthless. Porygon-Z's program is too far gone for it to recover on its own."

* * *

A technician suddenly declares, "I've got it! I've found our solution!"

Another asks, "What? What is it?"

"I've been communicating with Silph Co., the company that created Poryogn, and they said that they've successfully managed to make a software patch that fixes all of Porygon-Z's glitches! They sent it to us, so all we have to do now is download it."

"So what are you waiting for then!? Download it!"

"Right away!"

* * *

Jessie says, "Alright, let's delete these twerps' programs once and for all."

Meowth nods. "I agree. Initiating Team Rocket rocket blitz!" Loads of missiles begins to fly out of the CPU's panels.

Brock shouts, "There's too many to intercept! We've got to get out of here!"

Neutrina despairs, "That's impossible without Porygon! We can't!"

Then Brenda points up towards Porygon-Z and shouts, "Wait, what's happening to Porygon now!?"

Porygon-Z has become covered in a shimmering rainbow light. Its shape begins to change once more.

Neutrina exclaims, "They've done it! My technicians must have found a patch to debug Porygon-Z!"

Porygon-Z stops glowing. It now has grown even larger. Its body is now slanted at an angle, while its now longer beak and tail jet out in opposite directions, giving its body the shape of a Z. Its arms float freely by its side. Behind it a red and blue ring has appeared. Orbiting around the ring are four red and blue spheres. Inside the ring, data in the form of binary code can be seen scrolling down.

Ash exclaims, "That's Mega Evolution! The patch for Porygon-Z is Mega Evolution!"

Mega Porygon-Z seems to have regained control over itself. It sees the mass of missiles flying at Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Neutrina. It unleashes a massive Hyper Beam that destroys them all with ease. It then turns to Team Rocket.

Jessie and James are nervous. Jessie asks, "You don't suppose it could get past our defenses, do you?"

Meowth shakes his head with confidence. "No chance of it. Our barrier is virtually invincible." He then asks slyly, "See what I did there? Virtually, as in virtual." He chuckles. "I make myself laugh sometimes."

Despite Meowth's confidence, Mega Porygon-Z unleashes another Hyper Beam. It shatters the barrier and hits Team Rocket.

They're sent flying off. They all shout, "Team Rocket's blasting off into cyberspace!" The CPU reverts back to normal.

Neutrina shouts, "Thank you so much Porygon! Without you we never could have done this."

Brock asks, "What about Team Rocket? We can't just leave them in here."

Neutrina nods. "Of course. Porygon, do you think you can go retrieve Team Rocket?"

Mega Porygon-Z nods. It then floats backwards, into the ring behind it, which seems to act as a portal. It then floats back out, carrying an unconscious Team Rocket in its arms.

Neutrina smiles and nods. "Great, now let's get out of here."

Mega Porygon-Z floats down to them. It beckons to its portal, suggesting they step into it. They do, and on the other side is the control room. Porygon, now normal sized again, and Team Rocket come out after them.

A technician happily exclaims, "Miss Neutrina, you're safe!"

Neutrina nods. "I'm glad you found that patch for Porygon-Z, but we have to talk about using unsanctioned hardware on my computers."

The technician bows in apology. "Of course Miss Neutrina. I'm sorry."

Neutrina continues, "Now that the immediate emergency has been dealt with, I want you to call in the computer experts and have them attempt to recover as much lost data as possible, and do any other necessary repairs to the mainframe."

"Yes ma'am."

Another technician asks, "And what about them?" He points to Team Rocket lying on the floor.

As if to answer him, they suddenly wake up. They all make a mad dash towards the window and leap out of it, into their balloon that is still floating there. As they're flying away, James shouts, "Never again! That's twice we've almost been trapped in cyberspace! We're never going back!"

Jessie and Meowth both say, "Agreed."

Neutrina then turns to Ash, "And as for you, I know you want a gym match, but I have to supervise the repair of the mainframe. Do you think we could battle tomorrow instead?"

Ash nods. "I'm looking forward to it."

Neutrina grins. "So am I."

_So, in their second trip to cyberspace, our heroes once again saved it from complete collapse. And with Ash's next gym battle just around the corner, you have to stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	42. Episode 42: Gone Fission!

Episode 42: Gone Fission!

Ash and Pikachu burst out of the doors of the Pokémon Center filled with energy and bravado. Ash declares to the world, not caring who hears him, "Here comes badge number three!"

Pikachu adds excitedly, "Pika pi!"

Brock and Brenda come running out of the Pokémon Center behind him. Brenda's awkwardly hopping as she tries to put on a shoe while following Ash, and Brock is struggling with his backpack.

_That's right, the time has arrived for Ash's battle with Neutrina, the Starcore Gym Leader. It's only a matter of time until Ash earns his next gym badge…or fails trying._

Ash runs into the gym, its doors now open. The room inside is mostly taken up by a battlefield. The battlefield seems cold and sterile, as it if made out of metal, fitting considering it's next to the nuclear power plant. Neutrina is standing on the far side of the field. She's still wearing her hazmat suit. She grins and says, "I hope you don't mind, I didn't have a chance to change after work."

Ash runs up to the position opposite of her on the field. He shakes his head. "I don't mind at all."

Neutrina nods. "Good, are you ready for our battle then?"

Ash nods back. "You bet I am. We've been training hard for this moment."

Brock and Brenda have taken seats off to the side. Brenda seems to cringe at Ash's mention of training.

Neutrina states, "Then let's not waste any more time." Ash nods in agreement.

One of Neutrina's technicians is the referee. He declares, "In that case, this will be a three-on-three battle. First to knock out all of their opponent's Pokémon is the winner. Also, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Are these rules agreeable?"

Ash nods. "They sure are."

The ref nods. "In that case, battle begin!"

Neutrina tosses a Pokéball. "Let's do this Noxic!" Out of her Pokéball appears a Pokémon that seems to be a small and wispy cloud of purple and green gas. On its surface is a simple face.

Ash instantly pulls out his Pokédex. "Noxic, the Noxious Gas Pokémon and a Poison-Type. Noxic form in areas with heavy air pollution, where the various chemicals and toxins mix together to form the Pokémon. If Noxic begin to form in an area, it is a sign that pollution has gone too far. Evolves into Hazeard at level 26."

Ash nods, thinking to himself about what to do. He then pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Turtsol, I chose you!"

Turtsol appears. "Sol, turtsol!"

Taking the first move, Ash orders, Turtsol, use Sunny Day!"

"Turtsol!" Despite Turtsol's efforts, nothing happens.

Brock comments, "I suppose even after all that training, Turtsol still can't use Sunny Day on command."

Brenda nods. "It's a shame, Turtsol is a lot stronger under the sunlight."

Neutrina observes, "It would seem that your move didn't work. I appreciate the attempt at strategy, though."

Ash shouts, "There are still other things we can do! Use Flamethrower!"

Neutrina grins slyly. "Use Volatile Gas." A cloud of barely visible gas floats out of Noxic's body. The moment Turtsol's Flamethrower makes contact with the gas there is a sudden explosion, which hurls Turtsol backwards.

Ash is shocked, he has no clue what just happened. He looks to Turtsol, who is lying on the ground several feet away from where it started. Noxic appears unharmed.

Brenda asks, "What just happened, Brock?"

"The move Neutrina just used, Volatile Gas, it's a type of trap move. You use it, and then if a move of a certain type is used, the trap is set off. If a Fire or Electric-Type move is used while Volatile Gas is active, then it explodes, causing damage."

Ash asks, "Are you okay Turtsol, can you keep on going?"

Turtsol gets up and nods. "Turtsol!"

"Great, in that case let's try a Rapid Spin this time!" Turtsol pulls itself into its shell and flings itself at Noxic while rotating.

Neutrina counters, "Noxic, slow it down with Smog!" Noxic blows a gust of smog from its mouth, the force of which significantly slows down Turtsol. Turtsol falls to the ground. Neutrina nods. "Great, now use Smokescreen." A miasma of smoke covers the field now.

Ash observes the smoke. "Alright, there's no way you're aiming another Rapid Spin in that. Let's try a Flamethrower, sweep the entire field."

Neutrina then declares, "Your mistake. Use Volatile Gas!" Suddenly all of the smoke from the Smokescreen is blown away by the resulting explosion. Turtsol is once again caught up in the blast.

Brock nods in understanding. He comments, "Very interesting."

Brenda asks, "What? What is it?"

"You see, Turtsol is a Steel-Type Pokémon, so none of Noxic's Poison-Type moves can damage it. Instead she's making Ash deal the damage to himself. By using Smog not to attack, but to block his only non-Fire-Type move, and make it impossible to aim, it's impossible for Ash to use anything else but a move that will set off Volatile Gas. Neutrina is very clever."

Ash is frustrated. Turtsol is standing, but it appears weak. He says, "Sorry Turtsol, but we're not going to be able to accomplish anything like this. Return." He pulls back out its Pokéball and returns it. He pulls out another Pokéball and throws it. "Go, Falcoknight!"

Falcoknight appears. "Falllllcoknight!"

"Alright Falcoknight, it attacks using gas-based moves, so let's just blow them all away!" Falcoknight nods in agreement.

* * *

A group of three scientists are standing at the entrance to the Starcore Nuclear Power Plant. A female one with red hair asks, "Remind me exactly what the plan is."

A male, blue-haired one seems confused as well. "Yeah, I'm not sure I understand what the point of coming here is."

The third one, a short one, replies, "The answer is simple. Think about how powerful our robots and machines could be is they were nuclear-powered. Forget Pika-power, we'd be 100 times as efficient. All we need to do is steal one of their nuclear cores." Obviously this is Team Rocket.

Jessie nods. "Alright, that does sound like a good idea."

James still doesn't buy it. "Sounds great, but do you really expect us to be able to just walk into this building, take what we need, and then leave?"

Meowth responds, "Don't worry about that one bit. Back when we were inside their computer, I managed to leave some data behind. We're now on their registry as top-ranked nuclear physicists, and they're expecting us to come for an inspection today."

Jessie is impressed. "Wow, that's some massive foresight."

James, equally impressed, nods. "Great job Meowth. You're earning your pay for once."

Meowth asks, "Pay? What pay? I haven't seen a cent out of Team Rocket in years."

"It's a metaphor. Now come on, let's go." They stroll into the building.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**If its cloak is broken in battle, this Pokémon quickly remakes the cloak with materials nearby.**

* * *

The referee declares, "Resume battle!"

Neutrina instantly orders, "Noxic, use Smog!"

Ash counters, "Use Gust to blow it away!" Noxic sends a cloud of polluted air at Falcoknight, but Falcoknight simply flaps its wings, the wind from which dissipates the gas. "Great job, now go in for a Sky Uppercut!" Falcoknight flies strait at Noxic with a burst of speed and uppercuts it with its wingtip. Noxic is sent hurtling into the air.

Neutrina nods. "It would seem that you've turned the tables on me. Before you couldn't touch my Pokémon. Now it seems like the reverse is true. You made a good call."

Ash proclaims, "I sure did. Let's wrap this up Falcoknight! Get above it with Aerial Maneuvers, and then send it back down to the ground with Talon Grapple!" Falcoknight flies up towards Noxic, disappears, and then reappears above it.

Right before Falcoknight thrusts its talons at Noxic, Neutrina orders, "Use Toxic Haze!" A purplish gas is released from Noxic. Falcoknight is caught up in the gas but doesn't pay it any attention. It rapidly thrusts its talons at Noxic. Eventually Noxic falls to the ground.

The referee declares, "Noxic is unable to battle, this round goes to the challenger!"

Ash cheers, "Yeah, way to go Falcoknight!"

Falcoknight declares triumphantly, "Fallllllllconknight!"

Neutrina returns Noxic to its Pokéball and pulls out another. "Very good, a smart switch at the right time allowed you to pull off a victory. But how will you fair against my next Pokémon? Go, Koffing!" She sends out a Koffing.

Brenda looks at it curiously and pulls out her Pokédex. "Koffing, the Poison Gas Pokémon and a Poison-Type. Most of this Pokémon's mass is made up of the toxic gases held within it. It can consciously mix different ratios of different gases to create specific types of gas to be used in battle. Evolves into Weezing at level 35."

Ash says, "It attacks using gases too, that means we can use the same strategy. Alright Falcoknight?"

Falcoknight agrees, "Fallllllcokinght!"

Neutrina orders, "Koffing, use Clear Smog!" Koffing launches a breath of white smog at Falcoknight.

"You know what to do, blow it away with Gust!"

Falcoknight is about to, but then it is suddenly covered in purple zaps of electricity and cries out in pain. "Falllllco!" This distracts it long enough for it to be hit by the attack. It's knocked to the ground.

Ash asks with worry, "Oh no! Falcoknight, are you okay!? What happened?"

Neutrina explains, "What you just witnessed was the effect of the move I used earlier, Toxic Gas. My Noxic filled the air around it up with a potent and poisonous gas. Any Pokémon that comes in contact with the user of Toxic Haze becomes Badly Poisoned afterwards. I'm afraid that your Falcoknight is now feeling it."

Ash looks to Falcoknight with worry. He asks, "How do you feel Falcoknight, can you keep on going?"

Falcoknight struggles to get up, it then looks to Ash and declares with determination, "Falco." It is then overtaken by the Poison again. It falls to the ground and cries out in pain.

Ash pulls out its Pokéball. "That's enough! Falcoknight, return!" He recalls Falcoknight. He grunts as he plans his next move.

* * *

**It's Burmy!**

* * *

Team Rocket is casually strolling through the power plant, trying their best to blend in. A worker walks past them. Jessie nervously greets, "How do you do?" Another worker passes them, she greets, "Great day, isn't it?" a third worker passes them by and she says, "Hello fellow nuclear…person…"

James whispers to her, "Alright Jessie, enough of that. We don't need to greet everyone we pass by. Just walk." Jessie nods.

Meowth points to a door ahead of them. He says, "That's our objective. Through that door is the entrance to the main nuclear reactor."  
They step up to the door. James reaches for it and pushes it open. The moment he does an alarm goes off. James leaps back and swears, "I didn't do it!"

Jessie says with some panic, "They must be on to us!"

Then a technician runs by them and sees them. He exclaims, "You three must be the nuclear physicists visiting today. I'm so glad you're here. Due to recent troubles, our nuclear core is destabilizing. We could really use your expert help. Please, follow me." He runs off.

Jessie, James, and Meowth look to each other. Meowth suggests, "I say we make a run for it now." Jessie and James nod in agreement. They begin to run off in the opposite direction of the technician.

The technician notices this though, turns around, and calls to them, "You're going the wrong way, it's this way you need to go!"

Team Rocket freezes nervously in their steps. They have no choice now. They reluctantly turn around and walk towards the technician.

He urges, "Come on, we need to hurry!"

* * *

Ash looks to Pikachu. "Alright buddy, it's up to you now."

Pikachu nods. "Pik." It then leaps down from Ash's shoulders and runs onto the field.

The referee declares, "Resume battle!"

Ash orders, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!"

Neutrina declares, "Koffing, block it with Sludge!" Koffing launches a ball of gunk at Pikachu's Thunderbolt. It stops the attack. "Great, now use Sludge again!" Koffing launches several more sludge balls at Pikachu.

"You've got to dodge them Pikachu!" Pikachu leaps out of the way of several of the attacks, but the final one manages to hit it.

"Koffing, go in for a Gyro Ball!" Koffing begins to rotate about it axis rapidly. It plunges towards Pikachu like this.

"Quickly Pikachu, deflect it with Iron Tail!" Pikachu's tail turns to metal and leaps up into the air. Koffing's body slams into Pikachu's tail. The two moves cause the Pokémon to bounce off of each other. They keep at it though. Again and again they ram into each other, only to be hurled back.

Right before they're about to collide again, Ash says, "Something's got to change, use Electro Ball Pikachu!"

"Chu pika chu!" Pikachu slams Koffing with its Iron Tail once more, but this time also with an Electro Ball that has been generated on its tail. Koffing is blasted backwards and knocked to the ground.

"Get back up and use Clear Smog!" Koffing floats back into the air and expels its attack.

"Pikachu, leap into the air and use Thunderbolt from above!"

Pikachu leaps up and over Koffing's attack. It now hangs in the air above Koffing. "Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" It unleashes its electrical attack, which hits Koffing. Koffing falls to the ground.

The referee declares, "Koffing is unable to battle! Pikachu is the winner!"

Ash compliments, "Great going Pikachu, I knew you could do it!"

Neutrina recalls her Pokémon. "I can sense that the two of you share a strong bond. It's time that I show you the Pokémon that I have the strongest bond with. Go, Nucleaction!"

Neutrina sends out the Pokémon she used previously in cyberspace. It declares in a metallic and echoey voice, "Nucle!"

"Alright Pikachu, let's finish this battle and win that badge! Use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!"

Neutrina makes no order of her Pokémon. Not even to dodge. When Pikachu's attack hits, it is absorbed into Nucleaction's body harmlessly. Ash and Pikachu are surprised. Neutrina explains, "Nucleaction is both a Poison and an Electric-Type. It is a walking nuclear generator. Of course an electric attack isn't going to do much damage against it." She looks to Nucleaction. "Now let's use Irradiate."

Nucleaction nods. Then, from its furnace cover, it releases a wave of luminescent green energy. That energy flies into the air, and then covers the field. For a moment, the ground glows green, and then stops as the energy is absorbed.

Brock shakes his head. "This is not good for Ash."

Brenda asks, "How come? It looks like whatever that attack did wore off quickly."

"No, that attack, Irradiate, causes the field to become radioactive. Now Ash's Pokémon will be taking continuous damage from it."

Right as Brock finishes explaining, the ground glows green again beneath Pikachu. It cries out in pain, "Pik!" Then the glowing stops and Pikachu looks better.

Ash says, "We're just going to have to fight through it. And since we can't use your electric attacks, let's use Iron Tail!"

"Chu pika!"

Neutrina orders, "Block it Nucleaction!" Nucleaction raises its hands in front of it and blocks Pikachu's Iron Tail.

The moment Pikachu's Iron Tail makes contact with Nucleaction's hands, there is a flash of green light and Pikachu cries out in pain again. It falls to the ground.

Brenda asks, "What was that Brock? Pikachu wasn't even touching the ground when it got hurt, so it wasn't Irradiate kicking in."

"I was afraid that this would be the case. Nucleaction's ability is Radioactive. Whenever it touches Pikachu, or Pikachu touches it, Pikachu will take damage."

Brenda is startled. She looks back to Pikachu. "That's not good at all. The only moves that Pikachu has that don't require it touching Nucleaction are Electric-Type."

Neutrina grins. "Let's add to the fray even more! Nucleaction, use Poison Gas!" Nucleaction sprays a purple mist out of its furnace at Pikachu, enveloping it in the mist.

Pikachu begins to cough. "Pik! Pik! Pik!" When the gas clears, Pikachu is suddenly overtaken by the same purple electricity that covered Falcoknight. It cries out, "Pika!" As soon as that ends, the ground around it glows green and it takes damage from Irradiate.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

Neutrina then declares, "Finish this off with Tackle." Nucleaction rams itself into Pikachu. When it does, it glows green, activating the Radioactive ability again. Pikachu faints.

* * *

The technician has lead Team Rocket to some sort of operations room. It's full of machinery, control panels, and computers. He declares to all the workers, "Don't worry, I've found them! Surely these three experts can save the system from melting down!" All the workers cheer with joy. He turns to Team Rocket and says, "Alright, do your stuff."

All three of them gulp nervously. James asks in a whisper, "Meowth, I don't suppose you know anything about nuclear power plants do you?"

Meowth shakes his head. "Not a bit…"

Jessie suddenly steps forward. "Come on, we might as well try." She marches up to a control panel and begins to press buttons. James and Meowth follow her reluctantly.

Meowth asks, "What are you doing Jessie?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm randomly pressing buttons and hoping something works. Do any of you have a better idea?"

Wobbuffet appears. "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie returns it. "I don't want any of your ideas."

James joins Jessie in her button pressing. He asks, "Which buttons should I press?"

Jessie scoffs, "How should I know? Just pick some, it's not rocket science."

Meowth chuckles. "Yeah, it's nuclear physics, _so_ much better." After thinking for a moment, he then says, "Hey, I've got an idea." He whispers, "Why don't we take this opportunity to have them bring us to the nuclear core. We say we can fix it from in there. Then we grab the core and run to safety."

Jessie and James nod. James says, "I like that plan. Let's do it."

Meowth then turns to the workers and declares, "Alright, in all of our genius, we've figured out how to fix your power plant, but we need to get to the nuclear reactor immediately."

The technician nods. "Of course, I'll lead you there right away."

* * *

And he does. Team Rocket is now wearing hazmat suits, and they are inside the nuclear reactor room. Meowth types a commands into the side of the pod holding the nuclear core. He then says, "Open sesame," and a hatch swings open. "And there you have it, one nuclear core ready to power the next generation of Team Rocket weapons."

James begins to complement, "Great job-" but is cut off when an intense glow suddenly emits from the hatch.

Jessie asks, "Is it supposed to do that?"

Meowth shrugs. "How am I supposed to know?" As soon as he says this, a blast of energy comes out of the hatch, blasting Team Rocket through the roof and into the sky. They shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Watching from the safety of another room, the technician exclaims, "They did it! They saved the plant!"

A worker asks, "What did they do exactly?"

"They vented all of the built up energy in the core! They were even willing to risk injury to do so. Those three might just be the greatest nuclear physicists to ever live."

* * *

The referee declares, "Pikachu is unable to battle! This match goes to Nucleaction!"

Ash runs out onto the field. "Pikachu!" He picks up Pikachu and cradles it. "Are you alright Pikachu?"

It looks up to him meekly and answers, "Pika…"

Ash walks over to Brock and asks, "Can you take care of Pikachu while I finish this battle?"

Brock nods and takes Pikachu. "Of course I will."

Ash walks back up to his position on the battlefield and begins to think deeply.

Brock pulls a medkit out of his bag for Pikachu. He comments, "Neutrina has a great strategy. She just imposes several different methods of dealing damage over time, and she barely even has to attack to begin with." He pulls out a Pecha Berry from the kit and feeds it to Pikachu.

Brenda points out, "Well Ash still has two Pokémon so he should be able to pull this off still, right?"

"I don't know. He could, but don't forget that Turtsol is weak from its battle with Noxic, and that Falcoknight is already Badly Poisoned. Meanwhile Nucleaction has taken almost no damage. Things don't look good for Ash right now."

Ash finally makes a decision. He pulls out a Pokéball and tosses it. "Let's give this another go Turtsol!"

Turtsol appears. It still looks weak and damaged from before. Despite that, it declares, "Turtsol!" with determination.

Ash says, "Alright Turtsol, she can't Poison you since you're a Steel-Type, but you've still got to be careful about not touching Nucleaction. Let's see if a Flamethrower will work this time." Turtsol unleashes a breath of fire at Nucleaction.

Neutrina counters, "Use Charge Beam!" The two attacks meet midfield, equally matched.

"Keep it up Turtsol! You can win this!"

The two Pokémon continue their attacks, neither gaining anything on the other. Then the ground beneath Turtsol glows green. Turtsol cries out in pain and its concentration lapses just long enough for Nucleaction's attack to gain enough momentum to hit Turtsol, knocking it back.

Brenda exclaims, "Oh no, Irradiate is still active!"

Turtsol struggles to get up, but then falls to the ground. The referee declares, "Turtsol is unable to battle!"

Ash recalls Turtsol and puts away the Pokéball. Then he pulls out another. He says to the ball, "It's all up to you now." He throws it. "Falcoknight, I chose you!"

Falcoknight appears. Despite still being Badly Poisoned, it cries out, "Falllllllcoknight!" in challenge to Neutrina's Pokémon.

Neutrina doesn't wait this time. "Use Charge Beam!" Nucleaction fires a beam of electricity.

"Dodge it, Falcoknight!" Falcoknight banks to the side. "Since your best attacks will activate Nucleaction's ability, we'll have to make sure we make those attacks count. Go in for your strongest Sky Uppercut!"

"Fallllllcoknight!" It dives down and flies straight at Nucleaction. Halfway there, it is suddenly overtaken by the purple electricity of the Poison. It grimaces in pain, but does its best to ignore it.

Ash shouts in encouragement, "Come on Falcoknight, you can take it! You can do this!"

Still taking damage, Falcoknight hears Ash's encouragement, and it resonates with it. Falcoknight cries out, "Fallllllcoknight!" and suddenly the purple sparks around it break, and are replaced by a red aura. This shocks Neutrina and Ash. Falcoknight delivers its Sky Uppercut with massive power, sending Nucleaction flying into the air.

Brock suddenly stands up and says with excitement, "That was Guts!"

Brenda asks, "What do you mean?"  
"Neutrina isn't the only one who can use abilities to their advantage! Falcoknight's ability Guts just activated! Now that it's inflicted with a status condition, all of its moves receive a massive power boost!"

Ash grins. "I like the sound of that. Let's get above it for a Talon Grapple now!" Falcoknight instantly flies upwards, overtaking Nucleaction, which is still being sent up from the Sky Uppercut. Once it's above Nucleaction, it attacks with a rapid series of jabs from its talons. Each jab may activate the Radioactive ability, but Falcoknight fights through it. Ash then shouts, "Now, one finishing Talon Grapple!" With all of its strength, Falcoknight jabs its talons down, sending Nucleaction slamming into the ground.

Neutrina looks anxiously at the dust cloud created by her Pokémon hitting the ground. The dust clears, revealing that Nucleaction has fainted.

The referee holds up his flag and declares, "Nucleaction is unable to battle! That means that Ash, the challenger, is the winner!"

Ash cheers, "Way to go Falcoknight! We did it! We just won our third Tenno Gym Badge!"

Falcoknight flies down to Ash and cheers, "Falllllllcoknight!"

Brock and Brenda come running towards him. Brenda congratulates, "That was great Ash! You too Falcoknight!"

Brock says, "You really did great in there." He then remembers something. He pulls out a Pecha Berry and holds it out. "Eat this Falcoknight, you'll feel better.

Falcoknight happily plucks the berry out of brocks hand and swallows it whole. The traces of Poisoning disappear.

Neutrina walks across the field to Ash. She grins and says, "That was a great battle Ash. I really must thank you. I'm not sure if I've enjoyed a battle that much in quite a while. All of my strategies will overwhelm the normal trainer, but you didn't freak out. Instead you came up with counterstrategies and knew when to fold."

Ash grins. "Thank you."

* * *

Everyone is now standing outside the gym. Sunset is approaching. Neutrina asks Ash, "Do you know where you're heading next?"

Ash shakes his head. "I have no idea."

She chuckles. "Then I would suggest you head to Versal City next. You'll have to cross Mt. Corona again to leave the city, but Versal City is the closest city with a gym to here."

Ash nods. "Alright, that's where we'll go next."

The referee/technician walks out holding a box. Neutrina says, "Ah, here we go." She opens it up and pulls something. "It is my pleasure to present you with the Radioactive Badge." She presents the badge to Ash. It's shaped like the symbol used to denote radiation.

Ash excitedly takes it. He holds it up into the air and declares, "Alright! I just got the Radioactive Badge!"

Pikachu, Turtsol, and Falcoknight all join him, cheering, "Pik pika pi!" "Turtsol turt!" and "Falllllllcoknight!"

_It looks like Ash's training has payed off, as he is now the proud owner of a Radioactive Badge. Now that our heroes are setting out on the next leg of their journey, what could be coming next? Stay tuned._

**To Be Continued...**


	43. Episode 43: Peak of Perfection

Episode 43: Peak of Perfection

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are on hiking along a mountain trail on a cliff's edge. Brenda appears somewhat worried. She looks down at the long drop and states, "We're so high up…if we fall, it's a long way down."

Brock suggests, "Try not looking down. If you don't think about it, it's not that bad."

Brenda nods and says to herself for assurance, "Right…just don't look down and everything will be fine."

Ash, acting like the height is no big deal, scoffs, "Oh it's not that bad. Nothing to be afraid of at all." Just then Ash trips and lands on his stomach so that his face hangs over the cliff. He shouts in fear, "I'm looking down!"

This seems to cheer Brenda up, as she laughs and says, "You know what Ash, you're right. It is nothing to be afraid of." Brock chuckles.

Ash quickly gets back to his feet, regains his composure, and says, "Right, nothing at all." Brock, Brenda, and Pikachu all laugh at him some more. Ash frowns. "You too Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods and laughs, "Pik pik pik pik!"

Ash sighs with embarrassment. "I can't catch a break…"

Brock says, "Don't worry Ash, according to the trail guide on my Pokéssistant, we're not too far from a rest stop." He chuckles to himself. "You can catch a _break_ there."

Ash grumbles, "That's not what I meant…"

The Narrator laughs too. _Today we join our heroes during the trek back up Mt. Corona, the only way in or out of Starcore City, and it looks like Ash might have just found out that he's afraid of heights._

The trail ahead of them turns inwards, away from the cliff and towards a valley. Ash, likely looking for a change in subject, stops and listens to something. "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

Brenda taunts, "Maybe it's the echo of your screams of terror."

"No, I actually hear something."

Brock and Brenda stop to listen. A female voice can be heard shouting, "Lunatone, use Moonblast!"

A male voice then shouts, "Dodge it Solrock, and use Solar Flare!"

Brock observes, "Sounds like a battle."

Ash, looking for any distraction, proclaims, "Cool, let's go check it out!" He runs ahead. The trail leads to the rest stop that Brock spoke of. In a relatively smooth patch of a ground, a battle is being held. Ash stops and gasps when he sees who's battling. It's Liza and Tate battling with their signature Lunatone and Solrock.

Brock and Brenda catch up with Ash. Brock says, "Well, look who it is."

Liza and Tate hear this and momentarily stop battling to look up at the group. They both say at once with surprise, "It's Ash and Brock!" They cease battling and run over to them.

Liza say, "What a surprise seeing you here."

Tate agrees, "What an odd coincidence."

Ash says, "I'm trying to earn gym badges here and enter the Tenno League."

Liza nods. "I suppose that shouldn't be of any surprise."

Tate asks, "And what about May and Max? Are they in Tenno too?"

Brock shakes his head. "No, we went our separate ways some time ago."

Brenda, sounding slightly annoyed, says, "Would anyone care to introduce me?"

Ash grins. "Sorry, this is Liza and Tate, they're the co-Gym Leaders of Mossdeep City in the Hoenn region." He turns to Liza and Tate. "And this is Brenda, she's been traveling with us here in Tenno."

Brenda thinks for a second. "Mossdeep City…isn't that that one city with the second rate space center?"

Tate shouts with rage, "Second rate!? I'll have you know that the Mossdeep Space Center beats anything here in the Tenno Region by a longshot!"

Brenda grins smugly. "Oh, I didn't know the Mossdeep Space Center put a person on the Moon, I thought that was the Cape Space Center in Kanaveral City."

Brock whispers in her ear, "Their parents run the Mossdeep Space Center."

Brenda nods awkwardly. "Oh…sorry."

Liza shrugs. "Don't worry about. There's always been a healthy rivalry between Mossdeep and Kanaveral. It helps both reach their true potential."

Ash asks, "So what brings you two here to Tenno?"

Liza answers, "Officially, our dad said it would be good for us to see the operations at other major space centers."

Tate continues, "But unofficially, we're here to Evolve our Lunatone and Solrock."

Ash questions, "Evolve them?"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. First it's, "Lunatone, the Meteorite Pokémon and a Psychic and Rock Combo-Type. The composition of the material that makes up Lunatone is nearly identical to that of rocks brought back from the Moon, leading scientists to speculate that it originates there. Evolves into Lunatue by leveling up in the vicinity of Mt. Corona."

Then, "Solrock, the Meteorite Pokémon and a Psychic and Rock Combo-Type. This Pokémon's body is highly heat resistant, leading to speculation that it originally lived somewhere extremely hot, such as near the surface of the Sun. Evolves into Solem by leveling up in the vicinity of Mt. Corona."

She asks, "They only Evolve here at Mt. Corona? Why's that?"

Tate explains, "No one's really sure why, but there seems to be some sort of unique cosmic energy field here required for Lunatone and Solrock to Evolve."

Liza adds, "So as soon as we heard we were going to Tenno, we knew we had to stop here. That's why we were battling. We were trying to give our Pokémon the experience necessary to Evolve."

Brock asks with curiosity, "If it's a location-based Evolution, how do you know you're in the right place? Maybe where we are now doesn't receive that cosmic energy."

Tate answers, "That's easy. Solrock here can sense the energy, isn't that right Solrock?"

The Pokémon nods. "Sol."

Liza adds, "Lunatone can too. I guess since it causes their Evolution, the two of them are tuned in to its frequency or something. This spot had the strongest field we could find."

Ash has an idea. "Hey, how about you let us help you train?"

Tate exclaims, "That's a great idea, we could have a tag battle!"

Liza nods in agreement. "I like the sound of that. It can get boring fighting the same person over and over again…especially when that person's Tate." She laughs.

"Hey!"

Ash turns to Brock. "What do you say, want to be my tag battle partner?"

Brock nods. "Sounds great."

So they take their positions. It's Liza and Tate vs. Ash and Brock. Brenda watches from a bench. Liza and Tate already have their Pokémon out.

Ash tosses a Pokéball. "Falcoknight, I chose you!"

Brock throws his Pokéball, "Go, Meteorfight!" Both Pokémon appear.

Tate marvels, "Wow Brock, you never told me you had a meteor Pokémon too!"

Brock grins. "I caught this early in my journey through Tenno. I'm sure it will be a fun match-up against your Pokémon."

Liza says, "Alright then, let's get this battle started. You two can make the first move."

Ash grins. "Great. Falcoknight, use Talon Grapple on Solrock!"

Brock commands, "And Meteorfight, you use Meteor Mash on Lunatone!" Both Pokémon lunge at their targets, ready for battle.

Liza and Tate both order at once, "Psychic!" Lunatone and Solrock combine their psychic powers to stop the attacking Pokémon midair.

Liza says, "You'll find that Tate and I have grown a lot as a team since we last battled."

Tate agrees, "Now we're truly a tag battle force to be reckoned with."

They then both command, "Throw them!" Falcoknight and Meteorfight are tossed to the ground.

Liza orders, "Moonblast, Lunatone!"

Tate orders, "Solar Flare, Solrock!" Lunatone charges an orb of pink energy and fires it, while Solrock attacks with tendrils of fiery plasma. The two attacks hit the Pokémon lying helpless on the ground at the same time.

Ash asks, "Are you okay Falcoknight?"

And Brock asks, "Can you move Meteorfight?" Both Pokémon get back to their feet and respond with a nod.

Ash turns to Brock and says, "I think it's time for a combination attack."

Brock nods in agreement. "Let's do it." He turns to Meteorfight. "Prepare for a Meteor Slam!" Meteorfight pulls in its limbs and floats in the air, ready to attack.

Ash orders, "Grab it with your talons and hurl it at them!" Falcoknight grabs hold to the top of Meteorfight and flies straight at Lunatone and Solrock.

Liza and Tate order at the same time, "Lunar Beam!" and, "Solar Beam!"

Ash quickly counters, "Aerial Maneuvers!" Falcoknight banks to left and then disappears with a burst of speed. The two beams miss. Falcoknight reappears behind Lunatone and Solrock.

Both Ash and Brock declare, "Now!" Falcoknight hurls Meteorfight, which plummets into both Lunatone and Solrock, inflicting massive damage.

Ash cheers, "Yeah, that went perfectly."

Brock observes Lunatone and Solrock, and takes note of how damaged they appear now. He says, "We almost have this."

Liza says smugly, "I wouldn't be too certain of that if I were you."

Tate agrees, "Yeah, we're full of surprises."

"Lunatone, use Moonlight!"

"Solrock, use Morning Sun!" Lunatone glows a gentle silver while Solrock glows a brilliant gold. When they cease to glow, all of their damage is gone, they've healed completely.

They both say, "Looks like this battle isn't as closed to finish as you thought."

As they're saying that, the ground suddenly begins to shake, and a massive booming noise can be heard. Brenda cries out, "What was that!?"

Brock looks around and observes, "It sounded like it came from over there!" Everyone runs in the direction Brock indicates. They climb up over a small hill. Once on the top, they can see something going on in the valley below them. It's full of Team Planetary Grunts.

Ash says angrily, "Team Planetary…"

Tate asks, "What's your beef with Team Planetary?"

Brock explains, "Believe it or not, they're not the benevolent group that they're made out to be. They'll lie, cheat, and steal to come out on top."

Liza says, "Actually, we can believe that. Tenno may be blind to their actions because of hero worship, but we at the Mossdeep Space Center have realized that something fishy is going on with them."

Ash points, "And of course he's here." He's pointing at Cosmo, walking up towards a large hole in the ground that's releasing smoke.

Cosmo walk up to two grunts on the edge of the hole and asks, "What do you have to report?"

One grunt answers, "Sir, we're almost certain we found it this time. Once we blasted the hole, our energy readings went off the charts. This tunnel should lead us straight to the Solar Peak Temple."

Up from behind Cosmo, the Planetary Commander Cygnus steps up. She sighs with relief. "So we can finally get this drag of a search over with."

Cosmo suggests, "Hey, you should watch your tongue. Team Planetary has been combing these mountains for years searching for the Solar Peak. This is a very important moment in Team Planetary history."

Cygnus groans. "Look kid, I don't go telling you what to think, so mind your own business. You don't outrank me yet."

Cosmo says with annoyance, "Fine then _ma'am, _as your subordinate officer, I _suggest_ that we proceed into the tunnels."

Cygnus shrugs. "Works for me."

Cosmo sighs, and then shouts to all the grunts, "Alright, let's get moving! Everyone into the tunnels!" And they all begin to climb down into the hole.

Brenda asks, "What do we do?"

Ash answers, "Isn't it obvious? Whatever they're doing is no good. We've got to follow them."

Tate says, "You can count me in too. My dad would get a kick out of hearing a true story about Team Planetary."

Liza says, "I guess that means I'm going as well."

All of Team Planetary has gone down the hole. The group leaves to follow.

Watching from their balloon is Team Rocket. Jessie complains, "It figures that just as we're about to attempt to capture Pikachu Team Copycat shows up and interrupts."

James declares, "Not only are they unoriginal, but they have no sense of manners whatsoever."

Meowth suggests, "Let's just wait and watch this time. Maybe an opportunity will present itself."

James nods. "Good things come to thieves who wait."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**Its skin has a rubbery elasticity, so this Pokémon can reduce damage by defensively pulling its skin up to its neck.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, Liza, and Tate have made it down into tunnels inside the mountain. They are sneaking quietly through them. Brock points up ahead and whispers, "Look, there's Team Planetary." Sure enough, ahead of them Team Planetary is standing in front of what appears to be a dead end at first glance. They dive behind some rocks to hide and listen in.

A grunt reports to Cosmo, "Sir, this is most definitely the gateway to the Solar Peak Ruins."

Cygnus then complains, "If you've confirmed that, then why haven't you gotten out the detonation charges yet? Let's blow this wall up and get in there already. I'm ready to be done with this mission."

Cosmo shakes his head. "No, we can't do that."

"What do you mean we can't do that?"

"We have to respect for these ruins. We can't just go blowing them up. If we damage anything, think of all the knowledge that could be used for the betterment of Tenno that could be lost. No, there's another way in, I just know it."

Cygnus groans. "Fine…whatever floats your boat kid."

Cosmo nods. He turns back to the grunt and tells him, "Bring me the Meteoric Shard we brought with us. According to legend, these ruins have a connection to the Meteoric Shards."

The grunt nods. "Yes sir," and leaves to fetch the shard.

Cosmo begins to walk along the wall and observe it closely. He feels all of the grooves and crevices. He puts his ear up to the walls and listens. After several moments of close observation, he seems to find something he's looking for. A groove in the wall. He traces it with his finger, following it across the wall, until it leads him to a small divot. He commands, "The Meteoric Shard, now!" A grunt hands him a small fragment of rock. He takes the shard and inserts it into the divot.

The moment he does so, the shard and the divot react and begin to glow a golden light, similar to the sun. This sunlight then spreads out from the source, filling in what at first appeared to be grooves, cracks, and crevices across the wall. Now lit up, it's easy to tell that this wall has been full of carvings and petroglyphs. Once they're all lit up, the entire tunnel begins to shake as the wall actually slides to the side, acting as a doorway.

Cosmo watches with awe. "I knew it."

Cygnus states, "Great kid, don't get cocky."

Cosmo looks to all the grunts and declares, "Beyond this doorway is the Solar Peak Ruins. Let's get moving."

Cygnus holds up a hand, indicating for a pause. "Before that, we have something else to deal with. A vermin problem." She points across the room, right to where Ash and the others are hiding.

Instantly all the grunts throw Pokéballs, releasing hordes of Protostar and Elgyem. Ash and the others walk out from their hiding spot with their hands up.

Ash whispers, "Come on Brock, we can take them."

Brock shakes his head. "No Ash, we can't fight that many all by ourselves."

Cosmo sees who it is, groans with annoyance, and orders, "Tie them up."

* * *

**It's Scraggy!**

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, Liza, Tate, and even Pikachu are thrown down to the ground. They're all tied up and unable to move. They are now behind the door. It is a massive chamber filled with ancient ruins. Everywhere across the ruins there seems to be solar imagery and symbols.

Cosmo steps up to the tied up group and tells them. "You five should be proud of yourselves. You're among the first group of people to step foot in these ruins for thousands of years. Legends have always spoken of an underground shrine built by an ancient society of sun worshippers that has been lost and never again found. It was said to hold untold secrets of the solar system and the cosmos beyond it." He looks straight at Ash. "Secrets that can be used for the betterment of Tenno, and Team Planetary just uncovered their resting place. Can you still not see that what Team Planetary does is for the good of Tenno?"

Ash says loathingly, "It doesn't matter what you do if you do it for the wrong reasons. You don't want a better Tenno, you want to control Tenno."

Cygnus then buts in. "And what would be so wrong with that? People are stupid, and make stupid choices. With Team Planetary in control, Tenno would be a much better place."

Ash looks her in the eyes and responds, "That's not the kind of better place I'd want to live in."

She groans and rolls her eyes. "Like I said, stupid choices."

Cosmo looks to them and says, "We'll deal with you later." He turns to grunt and orders, "It's time to start searching. Scan the area. We need to determine the source of this place's cosmic energy." The grunts all get right to work.

Once they're alone, Brenda whispers, "So is this really the legendary Solar Peak Ruins they think it is?"

Brock looks around. "I don't see what else it could be."

She then asks, "And what are they looking for? What's this about cosmic energy?"

Liza answers, "I'd be willing to bet anything that they're looking for the source of the energy that allows Lunatone and Solrock to Evolve."

Tate speculates, "That's probably why Lunatone and Solrock found the energy to be strongest where we were. We were right on top of these ruins the whole time."

Ash adds, "And given the affinity Team Planetary seems to have for all this mystic cosmic stuff, it'd be right up their alley."

Their discussion is interrupted when a grunt declares, "Sir, I've got it!" She's standing next to a large rectangular monolith, covered in petroglyphs, centered in the back of the chamber. Cosmo approaches her and she explains, "This monolith seems to be what emits the cosmic energy."

Cosmo nods. He is pleased. He walks up to the monolith with reverence and lightly touches it. "This must be the legendary Sol Monolith. I never thought it was real, but here it is, right before my eyes."

Cygnus complains, "Yeah, it's a great, big, giant rock. Very exciting. Can we get a move on please?"

Cosmo looks at her with annoyance, and then back to the monolith. He pulls out some sort of scanner device and scans it. He looks at the results. "Just as I suspected. It's not exactly the same, but it appears to be made up of some sort of pseudo-Meteoric Shard material. Perhaps an effort to duplicate their power created by the ancients."

Ash struggles to break free of his binders. He says with determination, "We can't let them to get their hands on that thing."

Brenda says, "Ash, it's impossible. You'll never break free like that."

Then a voice declares, "At least you won't without our help." And then in a flash of motion, the ropes tying up Ash and Pikachu are suddenly cut. Another flash, and so are everyone else's. They all look behind them to see Team Rocket standing there, Meowth with his claws extended.

Ash asks, "Team Rocket, what are you doing here?"

Brock asks, "And why are you helping us?"

Jessie grins. She whispers, "Prepare for us to get you out of trouble."

James whispers, "We're helping you out so make that double."

"To protect the twerps from devastation."

"To unite with the enemies of our nation."

"To help the causes of truth and love."

"To make alliances to extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie."

"James."

"Team Rocket will make Team Planetary blast off faster than light."

"With you on our side, they'll surely loose the fight."

"Meowth, that's right."

Then Wobbuffet appears and whispers, "Wobbuffet."

And Mime Jr. whispers, "Mime mime."

Ash is still confused. "So why did you rescue us?"

Jessie groans. "You twerps never listen our mottos. We saved you because we know you'll mess up Team Planetary's plans, which is what we want you to do."

Suddenly a grunt shouts, "The prisoners have escaped!"

Jessie begins, "And after that coup…"

James continues, "Our work is through…"

Meowth chuckles, "So we bid you adieu."

They then run off, back into the tunnels, shouting, "Team Rocket's running off again!" They disappear in the distance. Wobbuffet can be heard shouting, "Wobbuffet!"

And now Ash and the others are surrounded once more by Team Planetary Grunts and their Pokémon. Brock says, "Great, now we're back to square one. We can't fight all of them."

Liza suddenly has an idea. "Maybe we don't have to."

Tate instantly realizes what she's inferring.

Cosmo declares, "There's really no reason in fighting us. We have you outnumbered and surrounded."

Tate shouts up to Cosmo, "Well how about this then, my sister and I challenge you and your Commander to a tag battle. And if we when, you let us go free."

Cygnus laughs. "How deluded are you? Why would we ever accept that offer? We have nothing to gain by battling you."

Liza corrects her, "Actually, you do. You may not know this, but my brother and I are the co-gym leaders of Mossdeep City. Our parents run the Mossdeep Space Center."

Tate continues for her, "If you defeat us, we can tell you about the secret new space program they're working at there."

This intrigues Cygnus. She sighs. "Fine then. We accept your challenge."

Cosmo is shocked. "Wait…we do?"

Cygnus nods. "Secrets of our only true rival in the space industry could prove quite valuable to Team Planetary." She then orders, "Step aside, grunts." All of the grunts move out of the way to clear a battle field. "Send out your Pokémon."

Liza and Tate grin. In mirrored movements they throw their Pokéballs, shouting, "Go Lunatone!" and, "Go Solrock!" at the same time.

Cygnus casually tosses a Pokéball, releasing a Beheeyem. Cosmo throws his Pokéball, sending out Buffern.

Liza orders, "Lunatone, use Moonblast on Beheeyem!"

And Tate orders, "Solrock, Solar Flare on Buffern!" Both Pokémon launch their attacks.

Cosmo orders, "Foliage Fortress!"

And Cygnus orders, "Protect!" The two Pokémon erect barriers and stop the attacks against them cold. "Now use Psybeam!"

"And you use Razor Leaf!" Now the Planetary Pokémon launch attacks.

Liza and Tate both shout, "Dodge!" at once. Their Pokémon manage to dodge the attacks at first, but then both Buffern and Beheeyem change the angles of their attacks and land a hit.

Once the first hit lands, the instinct of both Cygnus and Cosmo is to go in for a stronger attack. Cygnus orders, "Zen Headbutt!"

And Cosmo orders, "Bulldoze!" Both Pokémon go charging in for a direct attack before Lunatone and Solrock can recover. Both attacks land, dealing large amounts of damage.

Liza and Tate shout out, "Lunatone!" and "Solrock!" respectively.

Liza suggests, "Try using Moonlight Lunatone!"

Tate agrees, "Good idea, you use Morning Sun Solrock!"

Cygnus rolls her eyes. "You've got to be kidding me. Beheeyem, just use Heal Block." An odd light is emitted from Beheeyem's hands, and the glowing of Lunatone and Solrock ceases.

Liza and Tate gasp.

Brock shakes his head. "This isn't good. Cygnus and Cosmo aren't even battling as a team, but they're both powerful enough that Liza and Tate are having a tough time fighting back."

Ash says, "They can do it. They have to."

Sounding somewhat panicked, Liza orders, "Use your Lunar Beam attack!"

Sounding equally panicked, Tate adds, "And you charge your Solar Beam!"

While the two Pokémon are charging their attacks, Cygnus, obviously feeling ready to wrap this up, orders, "Use Synchronoise." Beheeyem emits a shockwave of rainbow energy. The shockwave passes Buffern causing no damage, but then hits Lunatone and Solrock, interrupting their charge and dealing massive damage. Lunatone and Solrock fall to the ground.

Liza shouts, "Come on Lunatone, you've just got to get back up!" Lunatone struggles for a moment, but then falls back to the ground.

Tate encourages, "You can't be finished yet Solrock!" Solrock to tries to get back up but fails.

Cygnus groans. "What a bore. Looks like this battle's already over."

Both twins shout with determination, "You can do this!" Their Pokémon seem to respond to their words and begin to glow. The twins are surprised.

Brenda asks, "Is that what I think it is?"

Brock nods. "Yeah, Lunatone and Solrock are Evolving!"

Ash cheers, "Yeah, way to go Liza and Tate!"

The shape of the two Pokémon begin to change. An entire body grows out from underneath them. The glowing ceases revealing two new Pokémon. What was once Solrock now has a sturdy and bulky humanoid body of rock beneath it, leaving what used to be its entire body as its head. It also has extra sun ray rocks that levitate around its head. Similarly, Lunatone has also grown a body, turning what it used to be into a head. Where Solrock's body bulky and solid, Lunatone's is slim and loosely constructed, composed of a collection of rocks suspended beneath by psychic powers. Both Pokémon are completely revitalized.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Solem, the Meteorite Pokémon and a Psychic and Rock Combo-Type. It is believed that once it has absorbed a significant amount of cosmic energy, Solrock are able to change their form to better match their environment. Having landed on Earth, their form bodies suited for terrestrial living. Evolves from Solrock by leveling up in the vicinity of Mt. Corona."

And then, "Lunatue, the Meteorite Pokémon and a Psychic and Rock Combo-Type. The rocks that make up its body come straight from the Moon and are connected via a low level telekinetic field. If it loses part of its body, it can be replaced by nearby rocks. Evolves from Lunatone by leveling up in the vicinity of Mt. Corona."

The twins exclaim at once, "That's great!" They then look to each other and ask, "Are you ready to do this?" They then answer each other, "I sure am!"

Liza commands, "Let's do a Moonblast Lunatue!"

Tate shouts, "Go for a Solar Flare Solem!" Both Pokémon unleash the same attacks that they opened the battle with, but this time much more powerful and much quicker. Both attacks land before Cygnus and Cosmo can counter.

Both then order, "Use Solar/Lunar Beam while they're down!" commanding each Pokémon to use its respective beam attack.

Cygnus tries to order, "Protect!" but by the time Beheeyem starts to erect a barrier, it's already hit.

The twins declare, "Let's wrap this up! Double Psychic!" Both opposing Pokémon are lifted into the air.

Just then, a grunt comes running up to Cygnus. He reports, "Ma'am, we've successfully removed a chunk of rock from the Sol Monolith. It is ready for transport."

Cosmo is shocked. He shouts in rage, "What!? I never ordered you to do that!"

Cygnus talks down to him, "But I did. We need a sample of this pseudo-Meteoric Shard material to further our research."

"How could you do that!? That monolith is a national treasure! You can't defile it by cutting it into pieces!"

"Tough luck kid. Team Planetary needs it, so Team Planetary's taking it." She then orders, "Now get us out of here."

All at once, the grunts order their Elgyem to use Teleport. A high pitch hum envelops the room and everyone in Team Planetary is cloaked in a blue light.

Ash runs towards Cosmo shouting, "No! You're not getting away again!"

Cosmo looks towards Ash, almost with a look of regret, and then disappears. Ash stumbles, as his target is now gone.

Ash shouts in anger, "No! They got away again!"

Tate apologizes, "Sorry, it's all our fault."

Liza says, "Yeah, we shouldn't have been having so much trouble. We should have beat them sooner."

Brock says, "No, you two did the best you could, it's not your fault."

Brenda points to the other side of the chamber. "Guys, look at the Sol Monolith." Everyone looks. A large chunk has been taken out of its side.

Brock says, "That disgusts me. I've read about these ruins and the Sol Monolith. They're very important to Tenno's history. I can't believe that a group that claims to work for the betterment of Tenno would ever even consider defiling it."

Ash says, "This only goes further to prove that all their propaganda is a lie. We will expose Team Planetary. Someday Tenno will realize the monsters that they are."

* * *

They've all made it back out to the rest area. Liza suggests, "Well, we really should be on our way now."

Tate apologizes, "Sorry we couldn't finish our battle, but if we want to make it to Starcore City by nightfall we better get moving."

Brock nods in agreement. "The same goes for us."

Ash says, "I guess this is goodbye for now then."

Liza and Tate nod. Tate says, "Once again, we really are sorry we couldn't be better help down there."

Liza adds, "If only Lunatone and Solrock had Evolved sooner."

Brenda says, "That's not something we can worry about. Look at the bright side, at least you got what you came here for. They did Evolve in the end."

Tate nods. "I suppose you're right."

Liza smiles and says, "It's been great seeing you Ash and Brock, and it was great to meet you Brenda."

Ash says, "And it was great to see you too." The two groups split up and go their separate ways.

_Once more our heroes encounter Team Planetary and once more Team Planetary comes out ahead. Can anything or anyone stop Team Planetary? Maybe we'll find out…as the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	44. Episode 44: For the Love of Joy

Episode 44: For the Love of Joy

Jessie, James, and Meowth are in the streets of a city. They are dressed in civilian disguises. James wears brown blazer with a bowtie and hat, Jessie is dressed in a yellow blouse and pants. Meowth is dressed in a suit and wearing a black wig. Jessie ask Meowth, "Are you sure this is going to work?"

Meowth nods. "I'd bet my nine lives on it! This has to work. The twerps will be coming into this town in no time now, and that gives us the perfect opportunity."

James nods. He asks, "What do you think Mime Jr.?" There's no response. "Mime Jr.!?" James frantically looks around to find Mime Jr. on the ground. It looks very weak. James runs over to it and picks it up. "Mime Jr., are you alright?"

It says weakly, "Mime…"

James cries in despair, "Mime Jr.!"

Meowth comments, "It looks like Mime Jr. is pretty sick."

"Don't worry Mime Jr., I'll get you to a Pokémon Center, pronto."

Jessie declares, "Hold it right there, the twerps will be here any…" She trails off as James runs away, not paying her any heed. She sighs and turns to follow James.

Meowth grumbles something about a missed opportunity under his breath as he too follows.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking through a city, on the very same street that Team Rocket just was. _Today our heroes have made it to Nebulous City. With a new town, comes a new Pokémon Center, and for a certain one of our heroes, that's a big deal._

Brock exclaims, "I can't believe we're in Nebulous City!"

Brenda asks, "I don't get it, what's the big deal about Nebulous City?"

Brock is taken aback. "Have you not heard of Nebulous City's Nurse Joy!?" He pulls out a magazine. "According to Nurse Joy Monthly, she's most beautiful of all the Nurse Joys in Tenno." Brock goes into a dreamlike state thinking about her.

Ash looks at the picture in the magazine and tilts her head in confusion. "She just looks like all the other Nurse Joys to me."

Brock chuckles. "My dear Ash, that's because you haven't matured enough to recognize the divine beauty that this Nurse Joy represents. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go to the Pokémon Center and offer my services as a travelling Pokémon Doctor."

Brenda points out, "So you mean you're going to go and try to go flirt with Nurse Joy?"

Brock grins. "Of course I am!" He runs off. He suddenly stops, and runs back. He asks, "Would you mind holding on to this for me?" He forcefully shoves a Pokéball into Ash's hands. "Thanks, bye!" He runs off again, making a beeline for the Pokémon Center.

Ash asks, "What's this?"

Brenda looks at it. "I think it's Meteorfight's Pokéball."

Ash nods in understanding. He then asks, "So what do we do now?"

Brenda shrugs. "I heard there's a place for trainers to challenge other trainers to battles here. Want to check it out?"

Ash grins. "Of course I do! Let's go!"

* * *

A Nurse Joy steps out from a room behind her desk holding Mime Jr. in her arms. James, still in disguise, leaps up from a chair and runs over to her. "Nurse Joy, how is Mime Jr.?"

Nurse Joy smiles. "Don't worry, your Mime Jr. is all better."

James take Mime Jr. from her and hugs it. "Oh Mime Jr., I'm so glad you're okay."

Mime Jr. happily declares, "Mime mime mime!"

James looks up to Nurse Joy's face for the first time, his attention having previously been on Mime Jr. He is suddenly overcome with emotion. He says, "Thank you so much Nurse Joy. If there is anything, anything at all, I can do to repay you, please just tell me."

She grins. "You don't have to anything. I'm just doing my job. Besides, helping Pokémon out is a reward in of itself."

James nods. "I know exactly what you mean. Thank you so much." Reluctantly, he turns to leave.

As he leaves, Brock comes out from the back. He's now dressed in his doctor's coat. Upon seeing Nurse Joy, his entire demeanor changes. He calls out, "Oh Nurse Joy! I just finished administering the check-ups. All the Pokémon are doing just fine."

Nurse Joy turns around and grins at him. "Thank you Brock, you're a real life saver. I would have been way too busy all day if I was by myself."

Brock gets goofily happy when he hears Nurse Joy's compliment. "Just doing my job…"

* * *

James approaches Jessie and Meowth, who are back in their uniforms. He appears to be lost in a dreamlike state of thought. Jessie says with some annoyance, "Finally you're back. Now we can get to work." James makes no response. Jessie and Meowth look to each other with confusion.

Meowth waves his hand in front of James. "Hello? Earth to James. Are you there?"

James snaps out of it. "Sorry, I was just thinking about someone – I mean something. Yeah, that's it. I was thinking about something."

Jessie says, "Well, I can see Mime Jr. is better, so it's time to get down to work."

James nods. "Right. Work."

Meowth explains, "The Twerp and his Pikachu are currently doing some battling at the local battle ground. This provides us with the perfect opportunity to swoop in and snag the little yellow rodent."

Jessie says, "So get out of those silly peasant clothes and let's catch us a Pikachu."

* * *

Ash and Pikachu are in the middle of a battle with a trainer using a Nidorina. He orders, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Before Pikachu can begin its attack, Team Rocket dives down from the sky and lands between the battling Pokémon. Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble!"

James doesn't seem to have his head fully in the game, but he manages to say, "And make it double…"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation…"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

With that line, James seems to realize something. He stammers, "L…love?" He suddenly says, "Sorry guys, but I've got to go do something! It's important!" He runs off, leaving Jessie posing awkwardly alone in mid-motto.

Ash asks, "What's going on?"

Jessie says angrily, "That's exactly what I'd like to know."

Meowth jumps and declares, "We're sorry, but we're experiencing technical difficulties. We'll be back with the full Team Rocket Motto experience later." He and Jessie then run off after James.

Ash shakes his head in utter confusion. He looks to Pikachu for an answer, who just shrugs back in equal confusion.

After running a little, Jessie stops and asks, "Where did he go?"

Meowth says, "I don't know, he could be anywhere."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

** Its drill-tipped tail is used to burrow into the ground backwards. This Pokémon is known to make its nest in complex shapes deep under the ground.**

* * *

Brock and Nurse Joy are standing on either side of a Bellsprout's hospital bed. Nurse Joy asks, "What's your diagnosis Doctor Brock?"

Brock looks the Pokémon over carefully. It appears weak, limp, and somewhat pale in color. "I would say it's a photo-deficiency, this Bellsprout hasn't been taking in nearly as much sunlight as it should."

Nurse Joy nods. "I concur. Let's get it under some artificial sunlight right away."

Brock is pushing a cart towards the bed. "I'm way ahead of you." He takes points a lamp on top of the cart at the Bellsprout and then turns it on. The Pokémon is now covered in light.

Nurse Joy grins. "Wow Brock, I've had travelling Pokémon Doctors come by and offer their assistance before, but never have any of them been nearly as knowledgeable or helpful as you."

Brock grins goofily. "I do my best to impress…" He stops to consider something for a moment. He then asks, "Nurse Joy?"

"Yes Brock."

"How about you and I get something to eat tonight after work? My treat."

She grins. "I think that sounds great. Thank you Brock." She looks at some papers on a clipboard. "But first, would you be kind enough to take a look at the next Pokémon? I'll go back to the front and tell this Bellsprout's trainer that everything is going to be fine with it."

Brock nods. "Of course I will." He turns around to get back to work. Nurse Joy walks back out to the reception area.

Once she's out, she notices that James, back in his civilian disguise, is back. She smiles at him. "Back so soon are you? I hope your Mime Jr. isn't sick again."

James shakes his head. He says nervously "No, of course not. I was just…um…I just needed a place to take a break. That's okay, right?"

Nurse Joy smiles at him. "Pokémon Centers are always open to people like you who need a place to stay. Have a nice day, sir." She turns around and walks away.

James sighs with content. He says to himself, "Nurse Joy…" He looks to Mime Jr., who is sitting next to him, mimicking his satisfaction. "Isn't she great Mime Jr.?"

Mime Jr. nods. "Mime mime."

James then thinks of something and sighs. "I suppose we should be getting back to Jessie and Meowth. They're probably furious that I ran out on them. And making Jessie mad is certainly a big no-no." He gets up to leave.

* * *

**It's Dunsparce!**

* * *

James is back in his uniform. He approaches Jessie and Meowth. Jessie asks with rage, "And where have you been!?"

Meowth says with annoyance, "Yeah, we've been looking all over for you. Why'd you bail on us mid-motto?"

"You made us look like fools!"

Meowth adds snidely, "Even bigger fools than normal, she means to say."

James answers nervously, "I…uh…I was…I was at the Pokémon Center…"

They both demand, "Why were you at the Pokémon Center!?"

"Well…um…you see…it was…um…" He suddenly exclaims, "It was Mime Jr.! Mime Jr got sick again! That's why I was there."

Meowth examines Mime Jr. closely. "It sure don't look sick to me."

James begins to panic. "One moment please!" He takes Mime Jr. and runs behind a nearby tree. He bends over and whispers to Mime Jr., "My precious Mime Jr., could you please do me a big favor and pretend to be sick? I can't tell Jessie and Meowth why I was actually over there."

Mime Jr. nods in affirmation. It then collapses and begins act like its sick, a little overdramatically.

James runs back over to them and shows them Mime Jr. "You see, very sick."

Mime Jr. puts the back of its hand to its forehead and moans, "Mime, mime! Mime, mime!"

Meowth nods dubiously. "Alright…if you say so."

James explains, "So you see, Nurse Joy told me that we're going to have to stay in town for a while…the treatments for Mime Jr. will be periodic…so we can't leave here anytime soon, alright?"

Jessie sighs with annoyance. "Fine, we'll stay here. But if the twerps get away from us, I blame you."

James bows with thanks. "I understand. Thank you so much."

* * *

Then comes a montage of scenes, mainly of James and Brock. First James returns to the Pokémon Center with Mime Jr. again. He happily greets Nurse Joy, who greets him back. James blushes.

Then Brock and Nurse Joy work together to heal an injured Axew. At one point, their hands brush each other. Now Brock blushes.

Later, James gets up from one of the couches in the center and holds a door open for Nurse Joy. She thanks him.

That night, Brock and Nurse Joy have their dinner. They're laughing about something.

The next day, Jessie and Meowth are explaining a plan to James. James seems to not be listening, as his thoughts are elsewhere. Without saying anything, he suddenly gets up and leaves. Jessie and Meowth stare in confusion.

Brock is back on the job. This time he and Blissey impress Nurse Joy by repairing a Marowak's broken bone club.

James is once again in the Pokémon Center. He's enjoying a chat with Nurse Joy. She laughs at something he says and he blushes again.

While James is in the Pokémon Center, Jessie and Meowth are moving on with their plans without him. As is evident by the fact that the two of them, along with Wobbuffet, are sent blasting off without James.

When they land on the ground, it's right next to James. He offers them an apology and bows. He then points to Mime Jr., who is still acting sick, and then runs off, back to the Pokémon Center.

* * *

James and Nurse Joy are having another chat. Nurse Joy comments, "You sure are an interesting man, James. I've had a lot of fun talking with you. You've made my day here a lot more enjoyable."

James grins giddily. "I'm so glad you think that. I've enjoyed talking to you too, Nurse Joy." He looks up to a nearby clock and sighs. "I suppose I should be off. My friends are probably worried about me."

Nurse Joy nods. "Will you be returning tomorrow?"

James nods. "You can count on it. I'll see you tomorrow."

Nurse Joy grins. "It's a date." She turns to leave.

James gets excited upon hearing her call it a date. In a state of euphoria, he leaves the center. As exits the door, his hat gets knocked off, but he doesn't seem to notice.

Brock just happens to be walking by when that happens, and he notices. He picks up the hat and walks outside, calling, "Sir, you left your hat!" He suddenly comes to a halt when he sees James removing his disguise, revealing his Team Rocket uniform. Brock stops and gasps. He then gets into a ready stance and pulls out a Pokéball. He demands, "What are you doing here!?"

James freezes up turns around to see Brock. "Tall Twerp! It's not what it looks like, I swear!"

"You and Team Rocket are trying to steal the Pokémon Center's Pokémon, aren't you!? Well I'll have you know there's a very lovely woman in there, and I will do anything to protect her."

James panics, and Mime Jr. mimics his panic. "No, please, I swear it's nothing like that. I'm not here on Team Rocket business…it's personal…you see…there's this girl…"

Brock suddenly calms down. "A girl?"

James nods. "Yes, an amazing girl. I'm certain I'm in love with her, and I just want to see her. That's the reason I'm here. I swear."

"You should have just told me. I understand that perfectly. In fact, I'm in a very similar situation."

"Really?" He stops to think. "Hey, you know a lot about women, don't you?"

Brock nods. He says with fake modesty, "I don't mean to brag, but I'm a bit of an expert."

James nods. "Do you think you could give me some advice then? From one love-struck heart to another?"

Brock nods. He proclaims dramatically, "We may be enemies in the field of battle, but in the field of love, we are all united! What's your problem?"

"You see, I may be in love with her, but I'm just not sure how she feels about me. She's given me compliments, and she certainly likes me, but I don't know if she _likes _me. What should I do?"

Brock nods in understanding. "Yes, the problem you face is a problem that has plagued men since the beginning of time. There is only one thing you can do. You have to confess your feelings. It's the only way you'll ever know what the girl feels about you."

"Confess…my feelings…?"

"Yes, it is the only thing you can do."

James nods in determination. Suddenly fired up, he declares, "Yes, you're right. I have to confess my feelings. I'm going to do that right now." He throws back on his disguise.

Brock cheers, "That's the ticket! And you know what, you've inspired me. I too will confess my feeling to the one I love!"

And with that, they both run back into the Pokémon Center. They both run up to Nurse Joy at once and both say, "Nurse Joy, there's something I have to tell you! I…" They trail off and look at each other as they realize what's happening.

Nurse Joy looks at them with confusion. "James? Brock? What's going on?"

Brock looks to her and says, "Pardon us for a moment please." He and James then dash back outside. They both begin to laugh. Brock says, "There must be some sort of mistake here," as he laughs.

James agrees, "Certainly. A mistake for sure."

They then both laugh at once, "I thought you were going to confess your love to Nurse Joy!"

They freeze up as they realize what has been said. Suddenly, all of the comradery they had a moment ago is gone. James accuses, "I thought you had my back! You said we're all united in the field of love!"

"That was before I knew you were in love with Nurse Joy! In case you didn't know, falling in love with Nurse Joy is my thing!"

James accuses, "You only care about her because of her looks! I love her because she is a kindhearted and caring person! She helped my Mime Jr. when I had nowhere else to turn!"

Brock shouts, "You take that back! I most certainly do not love her only for her looks!"

James then suggests, "I believe there's only one way for us to settle this."

Brock nods. "Agreed." They both pull out Pokéballs and throw them. James lets out Haking, and Brock sends out Blissey. Brock states, "Standard honor battle rules. Winner gets to admit their love, loser leaves."

James nods. "Agreed."

Brock makes the first move. "Blissey, use Mega Punch!"

"Haking, use Tackle!" The two Pokémon collide midfield, knocking each back. "Use Sludge Bomb!"

"Intercept with Egg Bomb!" Both Pokémon launch their attacks, which once again collide, causing an explosion in between them.

The smoke has barely cleared, and Brock shouts, "Strength, now!" Blissey uses the remains of the smoke to cover its entry, and grabs a hold of Haking.

James exclaims, "Haking, oh no!"

Once Blissey has a hold of it, it leaps into the air and hurls Haking to the ground.

"There's no way we're taking that! Use Smoke Screen Haking!" Haking covers the surroundings in smoke, making it impossible to see. "Great, now barrage it with Sludge Bomb!"

Blissey can be heard crying out, "Bliss!" in pain.

"Blissey, no!"

James grins. "Great job Haking, now go in for another Tackle!"

"Get ready for it Blissey, as soon as you sense Haking, use Secret Power!" A bright light suddenly shines through the smoke, as Blissey attacks with its Secret Power. Haking is hit by the attack and ejected out of the smoke cloud. The smoke begins to clear.

James declares, "We can't lose this. We won't lose this!"

Brock declares back, "And neither will we!"

"Straight down Haking! Use Tackle!"

"Leap up and use Mega Punch Blissey!" Haking comes plummeting down, while Blissey lunges upwards. The two meet half way, both hitting each other. Both Pokémon then fall to the floor, knocked out.

Brock and James look to each other awkwardly for a moment. James finally asks, "What do we do now…?"

Brock declares, "There's only one option left. We both tell Nurse Joy how we feel, and we let her chose. The other has to respect this choice."

James nods. "I agree to that." They both recall their Pokémon. With no warning, they both make a mad dash for the Pokémon Center.

Nurse Joy looks up to see them coming in. "Oh, there you two are. I was getting worried."

They both say at once, "Nurse Joy, we have something to tell you."

Nurse Joy smiles. "That's great, but first, I'd like to introduce you to someone. Brock, James, this is Richard." A handsome man walks up from behind Nurse Joy. "He's my boyfriend."

James and Brock both freeze up. They go through a traumatic experience of heartbreak. They declare at once, "Boyfriend…!?" Their entire world seems to fall apart.

Nurse Joy says to Richard, "Brock has been such a great help around here the past two days. And James has been a pleasure to talk to."

Richard extends a hand to shake. "Nice to meet you two. Any friend of Joy's is a friend of mine." But before he can even finish saying that, Brock and James have run off. He asks in confusion, "Was it something I said?"

Both stop once they make it out of the Pokémon Center. They look at each other silently for a few moments. Finally Bock breaks the silence by saying, "This never happened."

James nods. "What happened? I don't remember anything happening."

"Neither do I."

Then Ash and Brenda approach them from one side, and Jessie and Meowth from the other. Both groups point at each other and demand, "What are you doing here!?" They then see that Brock and James are together and demand, "Why are you with him!?"

Brock quickly comes up with an explanation and explains awkwardly, "Well…you see…James here was just…trying to steal my Pokémon."

James nods fervently. "Yeah, that's what I was trying to do. Definitely what I was trying to do. Nurse Joy had nothing to do with it."

Ash nods skeptically. "Okay then… Do you want Pikachu to use Thunderbolt to get rid of them?"

James quickly shouts, "No, no! That's not necessary at all, Tall Twerp here has already taught me my lesson. I'm done. We're leaving now."

Jessie says, "Wait a second, we're standing here with the twerps, and we're not even going to try to steal Pikachu?"

James grabs them both by the arms and pulls. "Yes, there's no need for that now. Let's get out of here." And with that, he runs off with Jessie and Meowth in tow, both of them very confused.

As they're walking away, Ash asks, "Is something wrong Brock? You seem awfully upset."

Brenda adds, "Yeah, and it looked like you ran out of the Pokémon Center with James. What was going on in there?"

Brock swears, "I'll never talk about this day again…"

Brenda teases knowingly, "Did something go wrong with Nurse Joy?"

Brock freezes at first, and then ignores the tease.

_Today both Brock and James learned a valuable lesson about love. Maybe they also learned something about each other in the process…though that seems unlikely. However, I can't help but feel like something's missing…_

Brock speaks up, "At least I've managed to go these past two days without an uppercut from Meteorfight." Just as he finishes saying that, an uppercut is delivered to him by Meteorfight.

Meteorfight nods with satisfaction that its job is finally done. "Meteor."

Brenda is shown holding a Pokéball with her finger on the button. She feigns innocence, "Oops, did I press that button by accident? Clumsy me." She giggles.

Collapsed on the ground, Brock says weakly, "I regret nothing…"

_Ah, that's better. Stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	45. Episode 45: A Bug's Strife

Episode 45: A Bug's Strife

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are stopped in front of a large forest. They stand in front of a signboard that has a large red X posted on it. Ash complains, "'Do not enter'…why not?"

Brenda shrugs. "I don't know, but they must have their reasons."

Brock is looking at his Pokéssistant. "Bad news guys, this path through the forest is the only way to get to Versal City. There is literally no other way." Ash moans.

_Today our heroes find themselves in a predicament. For no apparent reason the road ahead of them is closed. With no other way to go, who knows what will happen?_

Ash happens to notice a girl walking by. He runs over to her and asks, "Hey, excuse me, but do you know why we can't enter the forest? We really need to get through."

The girl looks to the sign and then back to Ash. "Oh yeah, that. You see, for some reason the Bug-Type Pokémon have been really rowdy in that forest for the past few days. Anyone that goes to deep into the woods has been chased out. Technically that signpost is unofficial. There's nothing to stop you from going through, especially since this the only path through the forest, but it's highly advised that you wait until whatever's going on in there dies down."

Ash asks with hope, "Wait, so you mean we can still go in there?"

The girl shrugs. "I'm not the boss of you, but I'd advise against it. However, we have no way to actually stop you if you're determined. In fact, a young girl with orange hair went against my warnings less than an hour ago."

Brock then steps and asks, "What's exactly wrong with the Bug Pokémon?"

"I wish I knew. They seem to be having some sort of battle for territory or something like that. They chase out whoever gets in their way."

Ash declares, "We're not scared of some old Bug-Type Pokémon, right Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Chu."

The girl sighs. "Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you." She turns to leave.

Brenda asks, "Are we really going to go through there?"

Ash nods. "We have no other choice. We've got to."

Brenda says wearily, "Alright…if you say so…"

The three of them return to the entrance of the forest. Just as they're about to step in, they are interrupted by someone screaming, "Buuuuuuuuugs!" at the top of their lungs in terror.

Ash and Brock instantly look to each other in surprise. Knowing what the other is thinking, they both shake their heads and say, "No…it couldn't be…" Then someone comes running out of the forest. They both gasp. "It is!"

The person who just ran out looks up at them. With surprise she exclaims, "It's Ash and Brock!" The person is none other than Misty, wearing the same clothes as she wore when last seen in the Hoenn Region.

Ash exclaims, "Misty, what are you doing here!?"

Misty chuckles, "What, no 'Hi Misty, how are you doing? It's been so long!'?"

Ash laughs. "Yeah, I guess it has been. How are you, Misty?"

She grins. "I'm fine." She suddenly gets upset, "Or at least I was until I was chased out of the forest by some wretched Bug Pokémon."

Brock says, "We were just warned not to go into the forest for the same reason."

Misty nods. "Yeah, I was warned too. I ignored the warnings though because I needed get through. She never told me the Pokémon were…Bug Pokémon." She shivers at the thought.

Brock asks, "Why do you need to get through?"

"There's a place nearby known simply as the Rest Stop. You wouldn't guess by the name, but it's Tenno's premier luxury resort." She goes into a fantasy explaining it. "It's full on, five star service. They tend to your every need, they have a spa, and a salon, and anything else a girl could want. It's wonderful…"

Ash pulls her out of the fantasy by stating, "Who cares about any of that silly stuff?"

Misty looks at him crossly. "I see that some things never change. I'll have you know that I'm going there because they're hosting this year's prestigious Splash Cup, a tournament for the best of the best in Water-Type trainers."

"Best Water-Type trainers? Why are you going there?"

Even more cross, she puts her hands on her hips and says, "In case you've forgotten, I am the Cerulean Gym Leader, and therefore one of the best Water-Type trainers there are."

Ash shrugs. "If you say so."

"And why are you going through the forest?"

"Because I'm heading to Versal City to get my next Tenno League Gym Badge."

Misty nods. "I should have guessed." She looks towards Brenda. "And who's this?"

Ash introduces, "This is Brenda, she's been traveling with us here in Tenno. She's a Pokémon Coordinator." Brenda seems to shudder slightly at the mention of being a Pokémon Coordinator, apparently still upset about her last loss. Ash turns to Brenda and says, "And Brenda, this is Misty, she was the first person I met after I left on my journey."

Misty laughs. "Is your definition of 'meeting' someone frying their bicycle?"

Ash ignores her. "She traveled with Brock and I throughout Kanto and Johto."

Misty walks towards Brenda and pulls her to the side. She says, "So you're the one who replaced me, huh?"

Brenda shrugs. "I guess you could look at it like that."

Misty nods. "Tell me, does Ash still do that thing where he obsesses over gym badges and Pokémon battles over anything else?"

Ash shouts, "Hey!"

Brenda nods and giggles. "Only all the time."

Misty laughs too. "Oh, and how about that thing where he turns his hat backwards?"

Brenda burst out laughing. "He sure does, it makes him look so silly."

"I know, right?" The two laugh together.

Ash is about to stomp over to them and break up the conversation, when Brock puts a hand on his shoulders and says, "Don't worry about it, just let girls be girls."

Ash turns around and crosses his arms. He mutters grumpily, "It does not look silly. It's cool when I turn my hat around."

Brock nods. "Just keep telling yourself that, Ash."

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

** This Pokémon flies around the sky in search of powerful opponents. It breathes fire of such great heat that it melts anything. However, it never turns its fiery breath on any opponent weaker than itself.**

* * *

A little bit later, after Misty and Brenda have talked, everyone has regrouped at the edge of the forest. Misty asks with fear, "Do we really have to go back in there?"

Ash nods. "You bet we do. My next gym is on the other side."

Brock also points out, "And if you want to compete in your water tournament, you have no choice. Besides, we'll be with you this time."

Misty nods reluctantly. "Right…" She gulps. "Alright then, let's get this over with." So they step into the forest.

Once in, nothing goes wrong immediately. They walk along the forest path uninterrupted for some time. After a while of walking, Brenda asks, "So Misty, why is it that you're so afraid to be here?"

"There are Bug Pokémon abound, just waiting to leap out and attack."

"And what's wrong with Bug Pokémon?"

Misty shivers at thought. "Your question should be what isn't wrong with Bug Pokémon. They're creepy and crawly, disgusting and terrifying. Nothing I want to be near. Not ever."

Brenda tries to convince her, "Come on, they're not that bad." The moment she finishes saying this, she, Ash, and Brock stop in their tracks.

Misty doesn't notice. She keeps on walking, saying, "Oh yes they are. Just take a nice close look at one and…" she trails off as she walks right up to a Beedrill hovering in front of her. She then screams at the top of her lungs, "Buuuuuuuuug!" Her screaming causes a swarm of Beedrill to rise up from the surrounding bushes. They all fly towards the group.

They all make a break for it, Misty in the lead, the Beedrill in hot pursuit. Brenda asks, "Why are they chasing us!? We didn't do anything!"

Misty answers with a scream, "Because they're bugs!"

They keep on running through the forest, making some progress at getting away from the Beedrill, but then they run into a clearing with more bee Pokémon. These Pokémon appear similar to Vespiquen, but with a more masculine appearance. The dress-shaped abdomen has been replaced by a more traditional abdomen shape, but cut flat on the bottom, revealing a honeycomb pattern. There is a fierce stinger in the center of the honeycomb. In one of its hands, it carries a shield made of honeycomb, and in the other a lance similar to a stinger. There are three of them. One of them turns to see the group running towards them and commands with a buzzing, "Vessssspi, vesssssp!"

Misty shouts in terror, "More Bugs!" Everyone turns around and starts to run away, as these new Pokémon chase them as well.

After only seconds of running, they see the Beedrill in front of them now. Brock points to some bushes. "Quickly, hide in there!" Everyone leaps behind the bushes.

Misty panics. "Do you think they saw us hiding?"

Brock shakes his head. "I don't think so."

Ash asks, "What were those Pokémon?" He pulls out his Pokédex.

"Vespidron, the Hive Defender Pokémon and a Bug and Poison Combo-Type. When a Combee hive needs protection, the ruling Vespiquen will release a special pheromone, inducing Combee to Evolve in order to better protect the hive. Vespidron will sacrifice anything, even themselves, to protect their queen and hive. Evolves from male Combee by leveling up with a Vespiquen knowing the move Attack Pheromones in the party."

Brock takes a cautious peek up out of the bushes. He says, "Hey guys look at this."

Misty, cowering in fear, asks, "Are they gone?"

"No, but I don't think we need to worry about them for now."

Ash and Brenda look up. The group and Beedrill and Vespidron have encountered each other and seem to be arguing. There is a rapid exchange of buzzes from both sides. Ash observes, "They're fighting…but why?"

Misty peeks up. "I don't care, as long as their attention isn't on me."

The verbal fight suddenly escalates, becoming an all-out battle between the two sides. The Beedrill attack with Twineedles and Pin Missiles, while the Vespidron use their stinger-lances to attack with Poison Jabs and Fury Cutters. Both sides attack relentlessly. The sound of them fighting seems to attract even more Beedrill and Vespidron, causing the battle between the two species of bee Pokémon to grow larger and larger.

The fight causes panic among the native forest Pokémon. A Raticate and two Rattata flee from some bushes just before a stray Pin Missile hits it, Pidgey and Fearow fly from their roosts in panic, and a Metapod falls off of the branch it's attached to.

Brenda exclaims, "This is madness. What's going on here?"

Brock hypothesizes, "It looks the two hives of bee Pokémon are at war with each other. I don't know why, but I would guess it has something to do with territory.

Ash suggests, "Maybe that's why they're chasing any humans away. They don't want any interference in their battles."

Brock nods. "Makes sense."

Brenda then points out, "Look, the battle's dying down." Sure enough, things seem to be calming down, as both sides gather their fainted comrades and fly them off.

Misty peeks up. "That means we can leave now, right?"

Ash shakes his head. "No, we have to follow them and figure out what's going on."

Misty sighs. "I was afraid you were going to say that."

* * *

**It's Charizard!**

* * *

So they follow the group of Vespidron by sneaking their way behind them in the bushes, ducking for cover whenever a Vespidron looks back. They are lead up to the base of a giant tree. At the bottom of the tree is a throne made of honeycomb with a Vespiquen sitting on it. Two Vespidron guard her, and various Combee and Honbee fly frantically about.

Brock says, "That Vespiquen must be the hive's queen. They all obey her orders."

Misty says with loathing, "I'd admire the fact that she's a queen, if it weren't for the fact that she's an icky bug."

Brenda notices a noise behind them. "Someone's coming! Hide, quickly!" They all dive into some nearby bushes again.

Ash asks, "Who is it?"

He is answered momentarily when three people step out into the open. It's Team Rocket. Misty groans. "Not them again. I thought they were out of my life."

Ash states, "Out of your life, still in mine."

Brock shushes them. "Listen to what they have to say."

Team Rocket approaches the Vespiquen. Brenda questions, "Why aren't they attacking them like they did us?"

Meowth steps up to Vespiquen and announces, "Your royal queen bee highness, I bring news for you from the Beedrill hive. I humbly presented to them your peace treaty and offer to share the honey making resources of the forest equally, but they immediately rejected it declared that all your honey belonged to them, and they would continue to take it as they see fit."

The Vespiquen stands up and begins to buzz angrily. "Vesssssspi!"

Meowth nods. "I understand, your highness. Such cruel theft must be stopped at all costs. It's beginning to look like this is going to become all out honey warfare."

Vespiquen buzzes out some orders.

Meowth nods. "I understand completely. As your humble ambassador, I will tell the Beedrill themselves the mistake they have made." Jessie, James, and Meowth all bow and back out of the clearing.

Ash whispers, "What are they doing?"

Brock answers, "I don't know, but I suggest we follow them to find out." Everyone nods in agreement.

* * *

And so they follow Team Rocket to another clearing on the opposite side of the forest. This one is surrounded by trees with Kakuna hanging in the branches and Weedle crawling up the trunk. In the center of the clearing is a Beedrill that's almost double its normal size.

Misty shivers with fear. "This place is even worse than the last."

Ash and Brock both shush her as they watch Team Rocket approach the giant Beedrill. The three of them bow, just as they did before Vespiquen. Meowth states, "Oh great Queen Beedrill, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the Vespiquen hive has rejected your benevolent peace treaty. They claim that you are in their territory, and so they will continue to take your honey as long as you remain here. She said that there can be no peace."

The giant Beedrill buzzes angrily. "Bee!"

Meowth nods in agreement. "Yes, it is my advice to you as your official ambassador and advisor that you put a stop to this threat to your precious honey as soon as possible. In fact, I suggest a full mobilization of your drones as soon as possible. A full out attack on the Vespiquen hive. Crush all opposition, and then peace will return to this forest once more."

Queen Beedrill buzzes I agreement. It then buzzes out an order, and Beedrill from all around prepare to take flight.

Jessie, James, and Meowth all turn to each other and grin deviously for a split second, before turning back to Queen Beedrill and bowing. Meowth states, "Now my queen, we take our leave. Good luck to you in battle."

And then Team Rocket scurries away. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty follow.

They are lead deeper into the forest. Team Rocket approaches two trees with large hollows. Each hollow is stuffed with jars of honey. The jars in one tree are labeled with Beedrill, and the jars in the other labeled with Vespiquen.

Jessie declares, "This plan was brilliant Meowth!"

James nods in agreement. "Not only do we get to take the honey from both hives to sell later, but we have no blame put on us whatsoever, so no threat of being stung!"

Meowth nods with false modesty. "It's not that big of a deal. Though, now that you mention it, it does sound pretty ingenious, doesn't it? And we're not even at the best part yet. Once all the Beedrill leave for the final battle I suggested, there will be no left to guard the rest of the honey. It's ours for the taking. And then once the two hives take each other out, the Vespiquen hive's honey will be all ours as well."

Jessie nods. "It can't get much better than that."

Wobbuffet appears and agrees with a, "Wobbuffet!"

She groans. "It can get worse though." And returns Wobbuffet.

That's when Ash, followed by Brock, Brenda, and Misty emerge from the bushes. He shouts, "All right Team Rocket, you've taken this far enough!"

Jessie laughs. "Prepare for trouble from the skies!"

James picks up, "From beyond the stars, a nasty surprise!"

"An evil as old as the galaxy!"

"Sent here to fulfill our destiny!"

Meowth leaps in, "Plus there's me!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"And James!"

"And Meowth are the names!"

"Anywhere there's peace in the universe!"

"Team Rocket will be there!"

They all at once declare, "To make everything worse!"

Wobbuffet appears once more. "Wobbuffet!"

As well as Mime Jr. "Mime mime!"

The three suddenly look to each other. James asks, "Jessie, why'd you do the start up for that motto? We haven't done it since the last time we were in Kanto while the Twerp was taking on the Battle Frontier."

Jessie shrugs. "I don't know, maybe it's the time of year, but I was feeling nostalgic."

Meowth points at Misty. "Speaking of feeling nostalgic, look, it's Twerpette Classic!"

Misty shouts, "What you three are doing is terrible! Give back the honey right now!"

Jessie pulls an eyelid down and sticks out her tongue. "Make me."

Misty pulls out a Pokéball, "Go, Staryu!"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Staryu, the Star Shape Pokémon and a Water and Light Combo-Type. Staryu can be found watching the sky at night with its red core blinking a brilliant light, possibly as a signal to extraterrestrial life. Evolves into Starmie with use of a Water Stone."

Misty orders, "Go Staryu, use Water Gun!" Staryu releases a blast of water from its top tip, spraying Team Rocket. It seems to cause minimal damage, but leaves them soaking wet.

James laughs. "You've lost your edge! You just got us a little wet!"

Misty grins confidently. "That's exactly what I wanted to happen. Do it Ash!"

Ash nods and steps forward. "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leaps into the air. "Pikaaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuuuuu!"

Realizing what's about to happen, Jessie, James, and Meowth gulp collectively in fear. They are struck by the Thunderbolt, its power amplified by the conductive properties of water. They are sent flying into the air.

As they're flying, Meowth asks, "What went wrong? That plan was the bee's knees!"

Jessie and James groan. James complains, "You did not just say that."

Meowth nods. "I sure did. What are you going to do about it?"

James sighs. "Nothing I suppose, because…"

Then they all shout, "It looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Back on the ground, Ash says, "Great idea Misty!"

Misty grins. "Oh, it was nothing."

Ash then declares, "Now we've got to hurry and warn Vespiquen that the Beedrill are preparing to attack. We have to stop this battle from happening."

* * *

They're back to their hiding spot near Vespiquen's throne. Ash whispers, "Alright, one of us will need to stay here and cause some sort of distraction to lure away the guards. Once they're gone, we can go and try to reason with Vespiquen."

Misty says, "If it means staying as far away from those bugs as possible, I'll handle the distraction."

Ash nods. "Alright, the rest of us will try to convince Vespiquen then."

Misty stands up and pulls out a Pokéball. She begins to throw and shouts, "Go Corso-!"

She is cut off by a Pokéball activating in her bag, releasing Psyduck out into the open. It looks around, but sees no one, as Misty and the others are hiding. It tilts its head in confusion. "Psy?"

Misty whispers the order, "Psyduck, get back here right now!"

But then the two Vespidron guarding the Vespiquen notice it. They both lunge towards it. Psyduck notices this and runs away shouting, "Psy-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y!" The Vespidron chase it back in forth across the clearing. "Psy-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y!"

Ash, Misty, and Brock all just stare at Psyduck silently and watch it go back and forth over and over again. Brock says, "Well…I guess that's one way to cause a distraction…"

Brenda says, "That's an odd Pokémon."

She pulls out her Pokédex again, "Psyduck, the Duck Pokémon and a Water-Type. This Pokémon is constantly plagued by headaches and confusion. For this reason, it is often believed to be dim-witted and weak. This perception changes when a Psyduck's full power is demonstrated at the height of its headaches. Evolves into Golduck at level 33."

Ash says, "Whatever, a distraction is a distraction, let's go." He, Brock, and Brenda leap out of the bush and run towards Vespiquen while the Vespidron are chasing Psyduck the other way. Vespiquen sees them and calls to its guards. Ash shouts, "Wait, Vespiquen, we're friends! We have to warn you of something!"

Vespiquen appears intrigued. Brenda explains, "Those people who you were talking to before, the ones who claimed to be ambassadors, they've tricked you! They're ones who are stealing your honey, not the Beedrill!"

Vespiquen appears surprised, but suspicious. It buzzes in question, "Vesssspi vessp?"

Ash nods. "We can prove it, you just have to come with us."

Vespiquen is just about to respond, when a loud buzzing drowns out all other noise. Everyone looks up to the sky. It's full of Beedrill diving down into the clearing. Vespiquen orders, "Vesssp!" and Vespidron start appearing out of the trees to defend their hive. A battle immediately ensues.

Ash shouts, "No, you have no reason to fight! They're not your enemies! They want peace as much as you do!"

Vespiquen ignores him. It looks up to see the Queen Beedrill hovering above the clearing. Vespiquen gets up from its throne and flies straight up towards the giant Beedrill, which dives down to attack Vespiquen in turn. The meet in midair and duke it out.

Ash shouts again, "Stop fighting!"

Brenda says, "Ash, I think we're beyond reason at this point. The Beedrill are attacking because they think Vespiquen is stealing their honey, and Vespiquen will fight to protect its hive. There's no settling this with words anymore."

They regroup with Misty, who looks terrified. She asks, "So…what do we do now?"

Ash says, "If only we had some way of proving that these two shouldn't be fighting."

Brock suddenly gets an idea. "Wait, there is!"

Brenda asks, "What is it?"

"The honey! Team Rocket left the stockpile of honey behind. If we show the Pokémon that their honey is safe, they might stop fighting!"

Ash grins. "Great idea. Now just to get their attention. I've got an idea." He looks to Pikachu. "Use your Thunderbolt Pikachu!" Pikachu nods. It leaps into the air and unleashes its attack. A few pairs of fighting bee Pokémon are hit by it, but they mostly ignore it, returning right to fighting.

Brock and Brenda nod in understanding. They both throw Pokéballs, releasing Frostcicle and Blissey, commanding them both to attack. Frostcicle attacks with Icy Wind and Blissey with Secret Power.

Misty sighs. "Great, now we're trying to get the bug Pokémon to chase us. She halfheartedly throws a Pokéball, sending out Staryu again. "Use Water Gun…" It adds its attack to the fray. Still, the bee Pokémon ignore the attacks, focusing more on each other.

Brenda says, "This isn't working. They're too caught up in fighting to notice us."

Ash points towards the edge of the clearing. "Not if Psyduck has anything to say about it!"

Psyduck is being lifted into the air by a Vespidron. It's squirming in panic and holding its head in pain, shouting, "Psy-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y-y!" Then it happens. The Vespidron drops it due to its struggling, and Psyduck falls back to the ground, landing on its head. It gets up holding its head, and suddenly shouts, "Psyyyyyyyyduck!" It opens its eyes and they're glowing blue. Then all of the bee Pokémon glow blue too, and are trapped in place by Psyduck's Confusion.

Misty runs up to it and cheers, "Yeah, great job Psyduck!"

Psyduck's eyes stop glowing, and it suddenly shakes its head in confusion. It looks up to Misty and questions, "Psy?"

In horror, Misty slowly looks up to see that all of the Pokémon have been freed, and they're all looking angrily at her and Psyduck. She gulps in fear. She then runs off in a sprint, dragging Psyduck behind her. Ash, Brock, and Brenda chase after them. Then both sides of the bee Pokémon war chase after them, the two queens leading the charge.

Misty asks, "Why'd we have to make them mad!?"

Ash answers, "Because now we can lead them to the honey!" He points to the two trees with hollows ahead of them. Everyone comes to a stop. As the bee Pokémon draw nearer, Ash points at the honey and shouts, "Look your majesties, all of your stolen honey is here! There's no reason to fight, you've both been deceived!"

The Pokémon all stop in midair upon seeing what Ash is pointing to. Both Vespiquen and the Queen Beedrill cautiously approach the honey labeled with their face and observe it. They look to each other, both confused. Vespiquen asks, "Vesssp?"

Beedrill asks, "Bee?"

Ash says, "You see, the ones who call themselves Team Rocket were stealing from both of you the entire time and blaming it on the other. All your honey is here, you can take it all back and go back to sharing the forest like you used to."

Both queen bees stare at each other silently. After a few silent moments, Queen Beedrill finally extends its stinger. Vespiquen extends its hand they shake. The various bee Pokémon all cheer and rejoice.

Misty breathes a sigh of relief. "Good, no more bug Pokémon will chase me today…"

* * *

It's now sunset. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty emerge from the boundaries of the forest and back onto the normal road. Misty comments, "I can't begin to express how glad I am to put that experience behind me." She looks over to Ash and Brock and asks, "So you guys are heading to Versal City next, right?

Ash answers, "Yeah, that's where my next gym battle is."

Misty nods. "If I'm correct, the Rest Stop is on the way to Versal City."

Brock looks at the map on his Pokéssistant. "It sure is."

Misty grins. "Then why don't we all travel together? It will be just like old times."

Ash teases, "Like I'd ever want to go back to those times."

Misty gets angry. "Ash Ketchum, I'll have you know-"

Ash interrupts, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, just calm down. I was only joking."

Misty scoffs. "Sure."

Brenda leans towards Brock and asks, "Was it always like this?"

Brock shakes his head. "No, it was normally much worse." They both laugh.

_Ah, reunions with old friends can be some of the greatest experiences. And as we enter this time of remembrance and celebration of the past it's more important than ever for you to stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	46. Ep 46:Butch Cassidy and the Fundance Kid

Episode 46: Butch, Cassidy, and the Fun-Dance Kid

Ash, Brock, and Brenda, still accompanied by Misty, are walking down a route with a small city in view ahead of them.

_Today we meet up with our heroes on the road towards the world-famous Rest Stop, location of Misty's Splash Cup Water-Type tournament, and on the way towards Ash's next gym match in Versal City. With their old friend rejoining the group, exciting times are ahead. Though…they may not be the well-oiled machine they used to be…or has it always been like this?_

Ash and Misty are arguing. Ash asserts, "If we keep on moving, we'll get to the Rest Stop sooner, and the sooner we get to the Rest Stop, the sooner I can get to Versal City!"

Misty fights back, "We have more than enough time until the tournament begins, and this is the last city for a while! I say we stop and spend the night in the next city!"

The two continue to butt heads. Brock, having had enough of this, tries to calm them, saying, "Guys, you need to take it down a notch. No need to get so angry."

They both look to Brock and shout, "But he/she started it!" at the same time.

Brock groans. "Look, I don't care who started it." He looks to Misty. "Misty, you must admit that it is fairly early in the day, and there's no need to stop now."

Misty sighs. "Yeah…I guess so…"

Ash cheers, "Yes!"

Brock looks to Ash. "And Ash, you've got to admit that one day's difference isn't that significant."

Ash is about to deny this, but then sighs. "I guess…"

Brock nods. "Good, then you two can now see each other's sides, and have no reason to argue. We'll get to the city first, and then decide who will get their way."

They both sigh. "Alright…"

Just as that's settled, a Jigglypuff holding a microphone comes wandering by. They all stare at it in surprise. Misty asks, "Is that…?"

Ash slowly nods. "It sure is…"

Jigglypuff notices them and turns towards them. It exclaims happily, "Jiggly!" It holds its microphone up to its mouth and prepares to sing.

All at once, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty shout, "No, don't sing!" And try to leap forward to stop it, but it's already too late.

Jigglypuff sings, "Jig-galy-y puff, jiggaly-y-y puffffff. Jig-galy y-y-puff jig-galy puffffff…" and they all fall asleep mid-leap. It's not long before Jigglypuff realizes this. It inflates itself in anger. It pulls the head off of its microphone, revealing the marker underneath and holds the marker up towards the sun.

* * *

A voice shouts, "Oh please, you must wake up! Please, get up!" Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty slowly come to. They all have graffiti from Jigglypuff's marker all over their faces. The person trying to wake them up is a girl wearing some sort of red dance leotard. She smiles. "Oh good, you're awake."

Misty says angrily, "Curse that Jigglypuff for ruining my perfect face yet again!"

Ash remarks snidely, "If anything, it's an improvement."

Before Misty can retaliate, the girl asks, "Please, can you tell me where I can find that Jigglypuff? I need to find it!"

Brock gets up and dashes to her and proclaims, "You don't need to find that silly Jigglypuff, for you have found something much more valuable. Love. Please my darling, just-"

Meteorfight appears and prepares to deliver an uppercut to Brock, but Misty beats it to the punch, grabbing Brock by the ear and dragging him away. She complains, "How have you possibly have survived without me?"

Meteorfight says sadly, "Meteor…" and returns itself to its Pokéball.

Brenda laughs. "Looks like Misty might put Meteorfight out of a job."

Ash laughs too. "Misty has been taming Brock since before Meteorfight fell to Earth."

Having dragged Brock away, Misty goes back up to the girl and says, "I apologize for my friend's behavior. What was it you were saying?"

After getting over her surprise from Brock, the girl explains, "I heard reports of a Jigglypuff in this area, and I absolutely need to find a Jigglypuff. When I found you four passed out asleep, I hoped for the best. Please, you must tell me where the Jigglypuff went."

Ash apologizes, "Sorry, but we were asleep when it left, so we have no clue where it went."

The girls nods and scolds herself, "Of course, stupid me. Why would I have thought any differently?" She looks back to them. "Sorry, my name's Cadence, I'm a dancer."

Ash introduces himself, "I'm Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu."

Pikachu grins. "Pika."

Ash also introduces, "And this is Brock, Misty, and Brenda."

Cadence smiles. "A pleasure to meet you all."

Misty asks, "So why do you need to find a Jigglypuff so badly? We've spent a lot of our journey trying to avoid that Jigglypuff."

"I suppose that is an irony, isn't it? As I said, I'm a dancer, and it's my dream to dance to as many types of music as I can. There is one song that has gone down in the history of dancing as impossible to dance to, Jigglypuff's Song. It's my goal to do the impossible and dance to it."

Brock, now recovered from Misty's ear-pulling, comments, "I'd imagine it would be quite impossible. Anyone hearing the song to try to dance to it would just fall asleep."

Cadence nods. "That's why it's considered so impossible. And that's why I want to try it."

Brenda asks, "But how would you do it? Are you going to use earplugs or something?"

She shakes her head. "No, no earplugs. That might allow me to dance with the music, but I wouldn't be able to _feel _it. I need to be able to hear it."

Misty asks, "So what's your plan then?"

"I have a secret weapon." She pulls out a Chesto Berry. "Once I see the Jigglypuff, I'll pop this in my mouth and it will keep me awake."

Brock marvels, "Wow, that's a great idea. Maybe we should be carrying around a supply of Chesto Berries too."

Ash offers, "Hey Cadence, why don't you let us help you out? We have a lot of experience with this particular Jigglypuff. I bet we could track it down."

Cadence grins profusely. "Would you really do that for me? Thank you so much."

Brock grins goofily. "Anything to help a beautiful…" He trails off as both Misty and Meteorfight stare him down.

* * *

Just outside the city, there is some sort of warehouse. It is guarded by several non-descript men. Hiding and watching the entrance with binoculars from some bushes is Butch and Cassidy. Butch whispers, "The target appears to be heavily guarded."

Cassidy nods. "Agreed. A frontal assault will do no good. We need an alternative method of infiltration."

Butch suggests, "We could disguise ourselves as warehouse personnel and sneak in that way."

Cassidy shakes her head. "That's exactly the sort of half-baked plan that Jessie and her friends would use. We need to think smarter than that."

Butch nods. "Right. How about-"

He's cut off when they hear a rustling behind them. They both look behind them in time to see Jigglypuff emerge from the bushes. Upon seeing them it smiles happily and prepares it microphone. It sings, "Jig-galy-y puff, jig-galy-y-y pufffff. Jig-galy y-y-puff jig-galy puffffff…" Butch and Cassidy fall straight to sleep.

* * *

Unbeknownst to Butch and Cassidy, also spying on the warehouse is Jessie, James, and Meowth. Jessie comments, "With that many guards, this place must hold something valuable."

James whispers, "And if there's something valuable, then it's Team Rocket's sanctioned right to steal it."

Meowth nods. "Then let's get a plan together right away."

James suggests, "We could disguise ourselves as warehouse personal and sneak in."

Jessie shakes her head. "No, that's exactly the kind of genius plan we'd normally use. With a place this heavily guarded, they must have heard of Team Rocket and their masterful disguises. We need a new method."

James and Meowth nod and agree. "Right."

A rustling noise is heard. They all turn to see Jigglypuff emerge from the bushes. It is putting the head of the microphone back on and grumbling something angrily. But then upon seeing Team Rocket, it gets happy again. Before they can react, it begins to sing, "Jig-galy-y puff, jig-galy-y-y pufffff. Jig-galy y-y-puff jig-galy pufffff…" and they too fall asleep.

* * *

Butch and Cassidy slowly awaken, their faces covered in drawings. Butch's face has the word Botch written across it. He asks, "What just happened?"

Cassidy responds, "I think that Jigglypuff just put us to sleep with its Sing attack."

Butch complains, "It could have blown our cover, that darned vermin."

Cassidy suddenly gets an idea. "Wait, this is exactly what we needed. If we could capture Jigglypuff, we could harness its Sing to put all the guards to sleep."

"That's a great idea."

"Thanks Botch – I mean Butch." Butch stares at her angrily as she giggles.

* * *

Jessie, James, and Meowth have woken up too, their faces covered with Jigglypuff's mark. Jessie is explaining something. "And once they're asleep, we get free access!"

James exclaims, "Great idea Jess!"

Meowth agrees, "With a plan that great, we can't fail. It's time for Operation Grab Jigglypuff."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**It can circle the globe in just 16 hours. It is a kindhearted Pokémon that leads lost and foundering ships in a storm to the safety of land.**

* * *

Cadence asks, "Do you really think this will work?"

Ash nods. "I'm certain. If there's one thing that Jigglypuff can't resist, it's a stage to perform on, and an audience to sing to." He beckons to a large tree stump they've found. "And this will be Jigglypuff's stage, and we'll be its audience."

"I hope it works."

Misty remarks, "When you're as vain as this Jigglypuff, it has to work."

Brenda asks, "So now that we've found a stage for it, what do we do?"

Brock suggests, "We should all take a seat and maybe even cheer for Jigglypuff. If it hears that, it should draw its attention."

So everyone takes a seat on the floor in front of the stump. They all begin to chant, "Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff! Jigglypuff!"

Cadence suddenly leaps up in excitement and shouts, "Look, there it is!"

Sure enough, Jigglypuff hears the commotion and peeks its head through some bushes, seeing the stage set up for it. It may just be a random stump with five people sitting in front of it, but Jigglypuff envisions it as a grand stage with a giant audience. Jigglypuff's face lights up with joy. "Jiggly!" It leaps onto the stage.

Ash says, "Alright Cadence, get ready."

She nods and pulls out her Chesto Berry. "I'm ready. At long last my dream is about to come true."

Jigglypuff raises its microphone and prepares to sing. Just as it's inhaling, a large blue tentacle comes launching in out of nowhere. It wraps around Jigglypuff.

Cadence gasps. "Oh no! What just happened!?"

A large mechanical Omastar comes rolling in. Standing atop it are Butch and Cassidy. Cassidy declares, "Prepare for trouble!"

Butch continues, "And make it double!"

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all people in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch, of course!"

"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight!"

Their Raticate appears and finishes it, "Rat, raticate!"

Misty says with confusion, "Biff and Cassidy…they weren't the ones I was expecting…"

Butch is about to protest the incorrect name usage when suddenly a giant scythe swings in and cuts the mechanical tentacle trapping Jigglypuff. Cassidy demands, "Who dares attack our robot!?"

Butch then adds with anger, "And who dares say my name wrong!?"

Into view comes a large mechanical Kabutops. Sitting in a cockpit in the top of its head are Jessie, James, and Meowth. Jessie asks, "Listen, is that the voice of inferior Team Rocket members I hear?"

James answers, "It's speaking to me loud and clear!"

"On the wind!"

"Past the stars!"

Meowth chimes in, "In your ear!"

"Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace!"

"Dashing hope, putting fear in its place!"

"A rose by any other name smells just as sweet!"

"When everything's worse, our work is complete!"

"Jessie!"

"And it's James!"

"And Meowth, now that's a name!"

"Putting the do-gooders in their place!"

"We're Team Rocket!"

They all declare, "In your face!"

Wobbuffet and Mime Jr appear. "Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Meowth looks forward and says to no one in particular, "I know what you're thinking, that motto's outdated. But we had to one-up those motto-stealing copycats one way or another."

Cassidy demands, "Jessie! What are you doing here!? That Jigglypuff is needed for a special Team Rocket operation!"

Jessie responds, "I'll have you know that we to are collecting that Jigglypuff in the name of The Boss, so hands off!"

James shouts, "Get out of here Bunch, this is our Jigglypuff!"

Butch is angered at first, but then after a moment of thinking, he shouts, "Why don't you get out of here, Jim!?"

James stomps his foot angrily, "You did that on purpose!"

Butch nods proudly. "Now you know how it feels!"

Both sides break out into an all-out robot brawl, as they send their two mechanical prehistoric Pokémon into battle each other.

Meanwhile, everyone else has just been watching the exchange. Ash whispers, "Let's grab Jigglypuff and sneak out of here while they're distracted." Everyone else nods in agreement. Ash sneaks up to the stage and grabs Jigglypuff, who is curiously watching the robot fight. They then dash off.

* * *

**It's Dragonite!**

* * *

Having escaped, the group ceases running and stops for a break. Ash sets down Jigglypuff, which looks up angrily at him. He apologizes, "Sorry Jigglypuff, but trust me, you didn't want to stick around back there." He turns to everyone else. "What just happened back there?"

Brock answers, "It looks like Team Rocket is interested in acquiring Jigglypuff for some reason."

Brenda sighs, "As if one Team Rocket group wasn't enough, now we've got two."

Misty nods in agreement. "Tell me about it. Butch and Cassidy were bugging me for quite a while after I returned to the Cerulean Gym."

Cadence asks, "So what do we do now?"

No one seems to notice, but Jigglypuff has begun to sing.

Ash answers, "Whatever Team Rocket has planned for Jigglypuff can't be good, so we've got to protect it." He yawns. "Hey, what's that noise?" Everyone realizes at the same time what's happening. Before they can do anything about it, they all fall asleep.

Jigglypuff completes its song and realizes that everyone has fallen asleep. It puffs up in anger.

* * *

Everyone is still asleep, now with various markings and scribbles across their faces. They all begin to wake up at the same time. Upon realizing what happened, Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty all groan, "Not again…"

Cadence gets up and panics. "Oh no, it's gone! Jigglypuff is gone!"

Ash adds, "And now it will be easy pickings for Team Rocket."

Misty complains, "How are you supposed to protect something like Jigglypuff? It's impossible!"

Ash looks to Cadence and apologizes, "Sorry we lost Jigglypuff."

She sighs sadly, but says, "You don't have to apologize, it's not your fault. Besides, I shouldn't be worried about my dance now. You were right when you said we have to protect Jigglypuff. That has to be our first priority. I'll deal with my dance when this situation is solved."

Everyone gets to work on cleaning off their faces. Brenda asks, "So how do we find Jigglypuff this time?"

Brock suggests, "A Pokémon that puts anyone it meets to sleep shouldn't be that hard to find, theoretically. I'd think it would leave a trail of people who have fallen asleep." He looks off towards the city. "And I don't think it would be that hard to assume that Jigglypuff has headed for the city. It's where it will find the most people to sing for."

Misty nods in agreement, "So it's off to the city then."

* * *

Just as they predicated, Jigglypuff is now in the city, wandering around by itself. It attempts to get the attention of various pedestrians passing by to sing its song to, but none stop for it. This annoys Jigglypuff.

A voice over some sort of loudspeaker announces, "This is your local radio station, reminding you that we're holding open auditions today. Come on by the radio tower in the city's center and show us what you've got. You might just be able to have your voice heard across the entire city."

This idea seems to excite Jigglypuff. It looks towards the center of town, where a tall tower can be seen. Its odd shape allows Jigglypuff to envision it as looking like a giant microphone. Jigglypuff gets filled with glee and sets off towards the tower joyfully.

* * *

They are now in the city. They take turns calling out, "Jigglypuff!"

A man walks by them. Cadence runs over to him and asks, "Excuse me, but have you seen a Jigglypuff? We really need to find it."

The man stops and thinks. "Actually, I believe I have."

Cadence's face lights up. "Really? Where was it?"

"Hmm…If I remember correctly, I passed by it just a little while ago near the Pokémon Center. It seemed to be heading towards the center of the city."

Cadence grins. "Thank you so much sir. Come on guys, let's go!" They all run, following Cadence towards the center of the city and its radio tower.

After running for some time, Brenda points ahead, across the street from where they are. "Look, there's Jigglypuff!" Everyone looks to see Jigglypuff turning into an alleyway. They run to go after it, crossing the street and entering into the alley as well.

Ash shouts, "Jigglypuff, stop!"

Jigglypuff turns to see them running at it. It tilts its head in confusion.

Misty breathes a sigh of relief. "I was afraid we'd never catch up with it."

Out of nowhere, Jessie agrees, "I was wondering the same thing."

Everyone turns around to see Team Rocket enter the alley, still driving their Kabutops mech, though it is now battle-damaged. James says, "Now hand us that Jigglypuff and we'll leave you to your business.

Ash shouts, "You'll never get your hands on Jigglypuff!"

Meanwhile, Jigglypuff seems to not care about this exchange. With the attention not focused on it, it turns around and continues on its way.

Meowth declares, "We're taking that Jigglypuff whether you like it or not!"

With that, Jessie and James both stand up and throw their Pokéballs, sending out Buzzsaw and Haking.

Cadence looks back to where Jigglypuff was standing and realizes that it is no longer there. "Oh no, Jigglypuff is gone again!"

Misty and Brenda both pull out Pokéballs. Misty turns to Ash and says, "You three go after Jigglypuff. We'll hold off Team Rocket."

Ash nods. "Alright, good luck Misty." He, Brock, and Cadence run off.

Misty looks to Brenda and asks, "You ready for this?"

Brenda nods. "You bet." They both throw Pokéballs, sending out Corsola and Kappaqua.

Misty begins the battle by ordering, Corsola, use Spike Cannon!"

Brenda adds, "And you use Aqua Bomb Kappaqua!"

Jessie orders, "Grind those spikes with Night Slash!"

While James orders, "Put a stop to that Aqua Bomb with a Sludge Bomb!"

All of the spikes fired by Corsola are grinded away by the rotating blades of Buzzsaw's mandibles, while Haking's Sludge Bomb intercepts and neutralizes Kappaqua's Aqua Bomb.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ash, Brock, and Cadence continue to chase after Jigglypuff. Ash notices it up ahead, turning around a corner. He shouts, "There it is!" He picks up the pace, as do the others.

As soon as they turn around the corner, they find Jigglypuff stopped before the massive Omastar machine operated by Butch and Cassidy. They've already sent out their Hitmontop and Houndoom to attempt to capture it by force. Jigglypuff takes a few steps back.

Cassidy calls out, "There's no need to fear. We just need to…borrow you for a moment." Jigglypuff doesn't seem convinced.

Butch orders, "Grab it, Hitmontop!" Hitmontop leaps at Jigglypuff. However, Jigglypuff, being as light as a balloon, leaps up and over Hitmontop, causing it to fall to the ground. It then lands on Houndoom and leaps off of it, onto the Omastar mech, and then back off, onto the ground behind them.

Cassidy shouts, "Hey, get back here!"

Cadence shouts in concern, "Jigglypuff!"

Brock pulls out two Pokéballs and says, "You two keep on going after Jigglypuff. I'll make sure you aren't followed."

Ash grins. "Thanks Brock." He looks Cadence. "Come on, let's go!" They run off.

Butch and Cassidy begin to prepare to go after Jigglypuff too, but Brock shouts, "You're not going anywhere! Go, Blissey and Meteorfight!" He throws his Pokéball and sends out his Pokémon.

Cassidy remarks, "Fine, if it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get! Use Flamethrower, Houndoom!"

Butch adds, "And you use Triple Kick Hitmontop!"

Brock shouts, "Blissey, intercept the Flamethrower with Egg Bomb, and Meteorfight, you counter the Triple Kick with Comet Punch!" Blissey launches its egg, which explodes when it makes contact with the Flamethrower, breaking up the attack. Hitmontop leaps at Meteorfight and unleashes a volley of kicks while it spins. Meteorfight counters each one of them with a high speed punch.

* * *

Ash and Cadence are still chasing after Jigglypuff. They seem to have lost it. They stop and look around. Cadence asks, "Where did it go?"

Ash shakes his head. "I don't know." He thinks for a moment. "It seems like it keeps heading towards the center of the city. Why would it want to do that?"

Cadence thinks for a second and then realizes something. "Wait a second! The radio tower is in the center of the city!"

"Radio tower?"

"Yeah, this city has a local radio station. It's played on loudspeakers across the city. Everyone listens to it."

Ash realizes what this means. "That means it's a way for everyone in the city to hear Jigglypuff's song! We have to stop it!"

Cadence nods in agreement. Right. The radio tower is this way, follow me." They run off again.

After running for a few moments, they make it to the base of the radio tower. They burst in. A receptionist at the front desk greets them, "Hello and welcome. The open auditions are being held…" she trails off as Ash and Cadence run right past her to the elevator. "…on the top floor…"

They ride the elevator up to the top floor, and leap out once it arrives. In the broadcast room, the DJ is saying something into a microphone as Jigglypuff walks into the room. The DJ looks down to it and smiles. "Oh, how cute. A Jigglypuff has just found its way into the broadcast room. What are you doing here little guy?"

Jigglypuff sees the microphone and leaps towards it. Ash and Cadence both shout at once, "No! Don't let it get that microphone!"

The DJ looks up in shock. She asks, "Why, what's wrong?"

And then Jigglypuff begins to sing. "Jig-galy-y puff, jiggaly-y-y puffffff. Jig-galy y-y-puff jig-galy puffffff…"

Ash, Cadence, and the DJ all fall asleep.

Across the city, Jigglypuff's song is being played via loudspeakers. People everywhere drop what they're doing and fall asleep.

Misty and Brenda are still locked in battle with Team Rocket when they hear the song. They look around for a moment, trying to figure out where Jigglypuff is, but then get too drowsy to care. Team Rocket and their Pokémon also drift off into sleep, declaring, "Team Rocket's nodding off again…" as they do so.

The story is the same with Brock. He and his Pokémon hear the song and are pulled into sleep. Butch and Cassidy, however, look to each other as they're about to lose consciousness and nod in agreement at something.

Back at the radio tower, Jigglypuff completes its song. It takes a bow, as if it expects an applause. When it hears none, it looks around and realizes that everyone in the room is asleep. It puffs up angrily and pulls out its marker. It proceeds to mark up the faces of everyone in the room.

Once done there, it marches out of the radio tower angrily. It sees that all around it people have fallen asleep. It puffs up even more. Then, in a mad dash, it goes from person to person, marking up each and every one of their faces.

* * *

Ash and Cadence both wake up at the same time. They instantly look to each other, realizing what had happened. Without speaking any words they get into the elevator, and rush down. They exit the tower and look around. Everywhere they can see, people are waking up. They are either confused at what just happened or laughing at each other's faces.

They also notice Brock, Misty, and Brenda heading towards them, also with scribbles across their faces once more. Brock asks, "What happened?"

Ash answers, "Jigglypuff managed to find the broadcast center of a radio station and sang its song for the entire city to hear."

Misty looks around and comments, "There's no way Jigglypuff stuck around here. Not after this many people fell asleep listening to it. Its pride was probably very hurt."

Cadence says, "That's good, then those crooks won't be able to get their hands on it anymore."

Brenda realizes, "Wait, that means you won't be able to fulfill your dream and dance to Jigglypuff's song!"

Cadence nods. "Don't worry about it. My day will come. I just know it. It may not be today, but I will get the chance again some other day. I'm just glad that Jigglypuff is safe. Just as it will keep singing its song until others hear it, I'll keep on dancing until I've danced to every type of song."

Misty cheers, "That's the spirit!"

Brock leaps in front of Cadence and declares, "Oh dear Cadence, your utter determination and drive is so amazing. If only I could have half of it, I would be a better-"

Misty reaches in to grab his ear and pull him away, but just before she does, Meteorfight appears and delivers its uppercut to Brock. It then looks and points to Misty, laughs, "Meteororororor!" triumphantly, and then returns itself to its Pokéball. Everyone laughs at the scene.

_Will anyone ever be able to hear Jigglypuff's song? It seems doubtful, but that doesn't mean Jigglypuff should give up. In fact, we should all strive to achieve our goals and never give up as the journey continues._

* * *

Butch and Cassidy are crouched around a portable videophone. Cassidy is holding some sort of data storage chip. Butch grins. "That was a great idea using those special earplugs. With Jigglypuff's song broadcasted to the entire city, those guards didn't stand a chance."

Cassidy nods. "And now we got exactly what we needed."

The videophone screen lights up. Giovanni appears on it. He asks, "Agents Biff and Cassidy…" He trails off. "Excuse me, Butch, not Biff."

Butch shakes his head. "From you sir, Biff is fine."

Giovanni nods. "Indeed. What have you to report, agents?"

Cassidy shows him the data chip. "We have successfully infiltrated a Team Planetary warehouse and stolen the data from their computers. It's ready to be sent to you immediately."

Giovanni nods. He is pleased. "Good. Very good. This means that we can continue our Tenno agenda." He chuckles malevolently.

**To Be Continued…**


	47. Episode 47: Evolutionary War

Episode 47: Evolutionary War

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty are standing at the edge of a large lake. _Today we catch up with our heroes, still joined by Misty, just as they're about to take some much needed time off, and enjoy themselves a little._

Misty declares, "This is it. The perfect fishing spot!"

Brenda states, "I've never gone fishing before."

Misty looks to her. "Don't worry about it, it's the easiest thing in the world to learn how to do."

Ash produces a fishing rod and declares, "I bet I catch the biggest fish! Right Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pik."

Misty pulls out her fishing rod. "No way you're beating me."

Ash grins smugly. "Oh yeah? Even if I have your secret weapon?" From his bag he pulls out a fishing lure that's shaped like Misty.

Misty gasps. "The Misty Special!?" She then blushes and says somewhat embarrassedly, "You still have that thing…?"

Ash nots. "You bet I do, and now I'm going to use it to beat you at your own game."

Misty snaps herself out her embarrassment and declares with renewed fire, "Well I have something way better than that now!" She digs into her bag and pulls out another lure. This one also looks like her, but redesigned to match her current outfit. "I present to you the Misty Supreme!"

Both stare at each other intensely as they attach their respective lures to their rods, and then cast them. They continue to lock eyes competitively as they fish.

Brock and Brenda watch from a few steps back. Brock suggests, "Maybe it's best that we just sit back and watch. Give them some space."

Brenda nods in agreement. "Sounds good to me."

Both Ash and Misty get a tug on their lines at the same time. They shout at once, "I've got one!" and reel in their lines rapidly. What emerges from the water is a single Binacle, with one head biting onto each line. Once they realize they've both caught the same Pokémon, they shout at each other, "It bit my line first! No, it bit my line first!" They butt heads once again. Meanwhile the Binacle, quite confused by what's going on, releases its hold on the lines, and drops back into the water. They then shout at each other, "Great, you let it get away!"

From behind them, someone laughs. Then he says, "I thought I heard some familiar squabbling."

Ash and Misty both turn around in surprise. Ash says with shock, "It's Ritchie…"

Ritchie grins. "Hey Ash, what's up?"

Misty greets, "Ritchie, it's great to see you."

Brock nods. "Yeah, funny coincidence meeting you here."

Ritchie nods in agreement. "Yeah, it's great to see you guys too."

Brenda asks, "Let me guess, another old friend of yours?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, I met Ritchie during the Indigo Conference back in Kanto. He's the one who beat me."

Ritchie shrugs it off as if it's no big deal, and says, "You and I both know that battle would have gone much differently if you were at full strength."

Ash shakes his head. "You beat me fair and square."

Misty asks, "So what brings you to the Tenno Region, Ritchie? Are you planning on entering the Tenno League?"

Ritchie shakes his head. "No. Actually, I'm on way to right now to take a boat back to the Kalos Region, that's where I'm working right now to gather badges. I thought I'd stop here along the way to take a break to go fishing for some Tenno Pokémon to take back with me."

Ash then asks, "So why did you come to the Tenno Region in the first place?"

Ritchie grins. "Why don't you have battle with me and find out?"

Ash grins back. "We haven't had a battle since the Indigo Conference. This should be fun."

* * *

Both have taken positions on either side of a flat patch of land near the lake. Brock has taken position as referee. Brenda and Misty watch from the sidelines. Brenda says, "So these two must have a rivalry going way back."

Misty nods. "I guess that you could say that they're both cut from the same cloth. That sparked both a friendship and rivalry between them the moment they first met."

Brock declares, "This will be a one-on-one match. First trainer to knock out the other's Pokémon wins." Ash and Ritchie both nod in agreement to the rules.

Ritchie goes first by pulling out one of his star-marked Pokéballs and tossing it into the air. "Go, Sparky!" What appears is not the expected Pikachu, but rather a Raichu. It still maintains the tuft of hair on the top of its head, proving it is the same Pokémon.

Ash gasps, "You Evolved Sparky!"

Ritchie nods. "Yeah, the two of us thought long and hard about it, and we decided that Sparky was ready to Evolve. It had gained as much out of being a Pikachu as it ever was going to."

Ash looks up to Pikachu and asks, "How about it buddy, you feel like beating another Raichu?"

Pikachu nods with determination, "Pik." It then hops off of Ash's shoulders and onto the ground in front of him.

Ritchie then adds, "But Sparky Evolving wasn't the surprise I had for you. Let's show him Sparky!"

Sparky grins. "Rai rai!" It moves its tail so that the lower portion of it is no longer obscured by its body. Wrapped around it is a curious band with a gemstone attached.

Ritchie then makes a fist and shows the back of his palm to Ash, revealing a similar gemstone attached to the back of his glove. He taps the stone and declares, "Let's do this, Mega Evolution!" Both gemstones begin to glow. Tendrils of light connect the two stones and Sparky begins glow intensely. Its form changes in both shape and size.

Ash and Pikachu gasp in collective awe. "Mega Evolution…"

The transformation completes and the glowing subsides. Sparky is now a Mega Raichu. The most noticeable difference is that it has grown a second tail. The lightning bolt shape of both tails are larger than the original, adding extra zig-zags. Also changed is its color scheme. It is now primarily yellow in coloration, with the tips of its ears, arms, and legs being black. The brown stripes from its back now reach around to its front, not quite wrapping all the way around. In the center of its chest is a lightning bolt emblem. Small jolts of electricity buzz and crackle around its body at random. It still maintains its ruffled hair on the top of its head.

Ritchie explains to the still stunned Ash, "I came across this Key Stone while in the Kalos Region. I was told that here in Tenno you can find an item known as Raichite that will allow Raichu to Mega Evolve. That's why we're here."

Ash manages to say, "Wow Ritchie, that's great…"

Ritchie grins. "It is pretty awesome, isn't it?" He then adds, "I won't blame you if you want to back out of this battle now. Mega Evolution makes battles a whole new ball game."

Ash shakes off his shock and disagrees, "No way would I ever miss this chance. Besides, Pikachu and I have taken on our fair share of Mega Pokémon."

"I'd expect no less from you Ash. Let's do this. Go ahead and make the first attack."

Ash chuckles. "You'll regret that choice. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu launches the first attack. "Pikaaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuuu!" It unleashes its strongest Thunderbolt. Ritchie and Sparky make no attempt to dodge the attack. Sparky simply absorbs the electricity effortlessly.

Ritchie taunts, "Come on Ash, you're going to have to do better than that. Sparky, use Iron Tail!" Both of the Mega Raichu's tails begin to glow silver.

Ash declares, "Our electricity may not have been effective, but we know exactly how to defeat a Raichu, isn't that right Pikachu? Use Quick Attack to dodge!" Pikachu dashes away at high speeds.

Ritchie doesn't seem to care. "How about we show them your speed, Sparky!"

With a surprising speed even faster than Pikachu's Quick Attack, Sparky leaps at Pikachu. "Rai chu rai!" It slams its two tails down on Pikachu in succession.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

Sparky leaps back from Pikachu and Ritchie explains, "Raichu may be a slower Pokémon that Pikachu, but Mega Raichu is a whole different story. It gains plenty of speed to make up for that deficiency."

Pikachu gets up slowly. It seems to have taken a large amount of damage from the single attack. Ash suggests, "Alright then, let's tackle this problem head on! No one can beat your Volt Tackle, Pikachu!"

Pikachu begins to dash at Sparky, it becomes cloaked in electricity. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika…!"

Ritchie counters, "Sparky, let's show them our Volt Tackle!"

Raichu begins to dash towards Pikachu now. "Rai rai rai rai rai rai rai rai…!"

Both Pokémon ram into each other and shout "Chu!" at the same time. The colliding attacks send both Pokémon flying backwards. Sparky lands on its feet and skids back a couple of inches on them. Pikachu, on the other hand, is helplessly thrown through the air and slams into the trunk of a tree.

Ritchie sees how damaged Pikachu is now. He asks with concern, "Do you want to stop the battle? I don't want to see Pikachu get hurt."

Ash shakes his head. "No way, we'll never give up, right Pikachu?"

Pikachu gets up and affirms, "Pik."

"Alright…if that's what you want. Sparky, use Thunder." Sparky unleashes a massive bolt of electricity.

Ash shouts, "Intercept it with Thunderbolt Pikachu!"

"Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuu!" Pikachu attempt's to block Raichu's electricity with its own, but it is quickly overwhelmed. Sparky's Thunder attack crashes down on Pikachu, inflicting severe damage.

Pikachu falls to the ground. Brock begins to declare, "Pikachu is unable to-"

He stops when he realizes that Pikachu isn't down for the count. Pikachu struggles to get up, but it manages. "Pi…ka…" It looks towards Sparky daringly.

Ash, getting caught up in the heat of battle, orders, "Quick Attack Pikachu, followed by an Iron Tail!" Pikachu dashes in at Sparky, preparing to attack with its tail."

Ritchie looks somewhat unsure of what to do. He reluctantly orders, "Sparky…use Iron Tail as well." Before Pikachu can even make it in for the attack, Sparky swats it away with its tails.

Pikachu is flung back once again. And once again, using all of its will and determination, it gets back up. "Pik…"

Misty shouts, "Ash, you have to end this battle! Pikachu is too hurt to battle anymore! Give it up!"

Ash clenches his fists. "No…we'll never give up." Pikachu seems to agree with Ash's sentiment.

Ritchie begs, "Please Ash, don't make this go on any longer than it has to."

Ash and Pikachu ignore him. "Pikachu, use Volt Tackle again!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika pika chu!" Pikachu attempts to ram itself at Raichu again.

"Stop it Sparky…" Sparky once again swats Pikachu away with an Iron Tail.

Pikachu is knocked down again, but once more it gets back up. Brock shouts, "Enough, as referee I'm calling this match!"

Ash shouts in frustration at him, "Don't you dare! We're not done yet! We can still win this! We won't lose to another Raichu!" A tear comes to his eye. "Never again!"

Ritchie sighs. "Then you leave me no choice. Sparky, full power Thunder, don't hold back this time."

Sparky, looking at Pikachu and seeing the damage it has sustained, hesitates. But it concedes and prepares to attack. "Raiiiiiii chuuuuuu!" and unleashes an even bigger blast of electricity than last time. Before Ash and Pikachu can react, the electricity rains down on Pikachu.

Pikachu cries out in pain, "Pika!" and falls to the ground.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu, are you okay!?" Pikachu doesn't respond. It's finally down. Brock doesn't even bother calling it. Ash runs out onto the battlefield. "Piakchu!" He picks it up and looks at it. Pikachu is still out and makes no response. Its injuries are extensive.

Sparky reverts back to a normal Raichu, and it and Ritchie come running towards Ash. Ritchie shouts, "Ash, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt Pikachu this badly, I swear."

Ash looks up to him for a moment, but doesn't say a word. He's about to say something, but then he just shakes his head. He runs off with Pikachu cradled in his arms.

Everyone looks around at each other, unsure of how to react. After a few moments of hesitation, Brock, Brenda, and Misty run off after Ash.

Ritchie and Sparky remain behind. They look to each with uncertainty and sadness.

Apparently having been watching the entire time while hiding nearby is Team Rocket. They too are speechless. James breaks the silence by stating, "Poor Pikachu…"

Meowth says, "It hardly seems possible that the same Pokémon that sends us blasting off week after week could get beaten so badly…"

Jessie nods. "This is surreal…"

James, breaking the morbid tone, suddenly gets up and declares, "I say that as that Pikachu has defeated us so often and so thoroughly, it is our sacred duty as members of Team Rocket to see that Pikachu becomes strong enough to beat that Mega Raichu no matter what."

Meowth adds, "And then The Boss will love it that much more when we give it to him."

Jessie says, "That's great and all, but how do you plan on doing that? It's not like we have anything that would make Pikachu stronger."

Meowth stops and thinks for a moment. "Well…there is this…" He pulls out a Thunder Stone."

James exclaims, "It's the Thunder Stone we stole from The Twerp last time this happened!" He pauses. "Wait…weren't we going to sell that?"

Meowth shrugs. "I guess we never got around to it."

Jessie asks, "But wait, we stole that to stop Pikachu from Evolving. Do we really just want to hand it back after that?"

They all look to each in thought for several moments. Then they all nod at the same time and say, "It's what we need to do."

* * *

Ash has made it to a Pokémon Center. He watches nervously as Nurse Joy and Brock frantically attempt to heal it. Nurse Joy shouts, "This is no good! Pikachu is failing to create its own electricity!"

Brock quickly suggests, "We need to jump start it, and fast!"

Nurse Joy orders, "Chansey, get me the defibrillator!" Her Chansey assistant comes running pushing a cart covered in machinery ahead of it. It passes by another hospital bed with a fainted Raticate on it and brings the cart to Nurse Joy, who quickly grabs two panels from the cart and activates the machinery. She shouts, "Clear!" and taps the panels down on Pikachu. Pikachu convulses from the electricity.

Brock, who is monitoring a screen with Pikachu's vitals displayed, informs her, "No change!"

Nurse Joy charges the machine again. "Clear!" She shocks Pikachu again.

Ash watches in despair. He thinks, _Pikachu…I promised you this would never happen again…I'm so sorry…please…you have to pull through…you just have to…_

Nurse Joy shouts again, "Clear!"

Ash clenches his fists and looks away. A tear falls from his eye. _This is my fault…I pushed you too hard…I should have stopped that battle…_

Brock, with a sense of relief and joy, suddenly declares, "That did it! Pikachu's condition is stabilizing!" Ash looks up towards him. "Pikachu is going to be alright, Ash."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**A Pokémon that was created by genetic manipulation. However, even though the scientific power of humans made its body, they failed to give it a warm heart.**

* * *

Some time has passed. Pikachu is propped up against a pillow in a hospital bed. Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty are all gathered around it. Ash asks, "Pikachu…how are you feeling?"

Pikachu appears to be deep in thought and doesn't feel like talking. It rolls over on its side, facing away from Ash.

Ash sighs. "I'm sorry Pikachu. This is my fault. I got overconfident. I figured that we've beaten Raichu before, a Mega Raichu would make no difference. I should have seen that that wasn't the case from the beginning."

Brenda asks, "You keep on talking about this as if it's happened before. What am I missing here?"

Ash explains, "Back when Pikachu and I were first starting off our journey, we had to face Lt. Surge, the Vermillion City Gym Leader. He used a Raichu. He kept on teasing me about having Pikachu and not Evolving it. After he beat Pikachu badly, Pikachu and I considered having it Evolve to beat Surge, but in the end we decided to use Pikachu's speed to its advantage instead, and that won us the Thunder Badge. Later, when we were in the Sinnoh Region, something very similar occurred with a trainer named Sho. He had a Raichu and we ended up in a battle. His Raichu beat Pikachu with ease once again. And once again we considered having Pikachu Evolve into Raichu. But Pikachu and I decided that we wanted to show Sho that we could beat him without needing to Evolve. It was after we beat him that I thought we put the question to rest. There was no need for Pikachu to Evolve. But now even Ritchie has Evolved his Pikachu. Not only that, he's Mega Evolved it." Ash looks to Pikachu. "Pikachu may be able to do a lot of things, but he'll never be able to Mega Evolve…unless he Evolves into Raichu first…"

Upon hearing this, Pikachu looks up to Ash.

Misty says, "Hey, do you still have that Thunder Stone Nurse Joy gave you? Maybe you should consider using it. I don't think that anyone would disagree that Pikachu will get a lot more powerful when it Evolves into Raichu. Not to mention, Ritchie probably did have a point. You and Pikachu have been training for so long that Pikachu doesn't really have anything left to gain by staying as it is."

Ash shakes his head. "No, after Pikachu decided not to Evolve to battle Sho, Team Rocket stole the Thunder Stone. If I did have it though, would we even want to use it…?"

Just then, Jessie leaps in through an open window and declares, "What a question, twerpish indeed!"

James leaps in as well and adds, "We'll answer these questions when we feel the need!"

"Bringing the blinding white light of evil into the future!"

"Thrusting the hammer of justice down onto the black darkness of the universe!"

Meowth leaps in. "Carving our names in the Rock of Eternity!"

"The fiery destroyer, Jessie!"

"And with thunderous emotion, I am James!"

"Wisest of the wise, Meowth!"

They all declare at once, "And now gather, under the name of Team Rocket!"

Wobbuffet appears, but Jessie immediately tackles it to the ground to stop it. "Oh no you don't! This is the one motto you don't get to mess up!" She forcefully returns it to the Pokéball.

Ash gets in front of Pikachu and shouts, "Team Rocket, there's no way I'm letting you steal Pikachu while he's still weak!"

James laughs. "While that does sound like a solid plan that we might have tried on any other day, today is a special day."

Meowth nods. "Yeah, believe it or not, but we're on your side today."

Jessie explains, "Pikachu constantly beats us, so it's not good for our public image if Pikachu gets beaten. So we're here to give you this."

Meowth steps forward and presents the Thunder Stone to Ash.

Ash gasps. "Is that the same Thunder Stone…?"

Meowth nods. "You bet it is. We were going to sell it, but you need it more than we do right now."

James then declares, "So let it be known that Team Rocket does have a selfless bone in their bodies!"

And with that, the three of them leap out of the window and retreat away.

Ash looks down to the Thunder Stone, and then Pikachu, who is staring intensely at the stone. He then looks to everyone else and asks, "Can we have some time alone?"

They all nod and then file out of the room, leaving Ash and Pikachu by themselves. Ash sits down in the chair next to Pikachu's bed. He places the Thunder Stone down on the bed in front of Pikachu. "Well…here we are for the third time. The same exact question as before."

Pikachu nods. It sighs, "Pik…"

"The easiest answer would be to just do what we've always done. If we've answered the question the same way twice before, why would it be any different now?" He pauses for a moment. "But Ritchie does make things different. He's not some jerk trainer like Surge or Sho, who Evolved their Pikachu purely for power. He and Sparky know what they're doing. Sparky Evolved and now look at what it's capable of. Maybe we should reconsider."

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Chu."

They both go into deep thought. Collectively, they have flashbacks to much of their journey up until now. They think about the time they first met in Oak's lab, Pikachu is shocking Ash. Then it's when Pikachu protected Ash from the flock of Spearow. They think about their times fighting Lt. Surge, first losing, but then winning. Then it's their battles with Sho, once again losing one, but winning the next. Ash then says, "Think about all you've managed to accomplish Pikachu, then think about how much more you could if you Evolved…"

Pikachu is too deep in thought to give an answer.

Ash picks up the Thunder Stone and stares at it. Then he looks to Pikachu. "Come on buddy, let's go for a walk."

* * *

**It's Mewtwo!**

* * *

A little later, Brenda peeks into the room, saying, "Hey guys, I just thought I would…" She trails off as she realizes that Ash and Pikachu are no longer in the room. She looks around also notices that the Thunder Stone is nowhere to be seen. She gasps. She then turns around and shouts, "Guys, Ash and Pikachu are gone! They took the Thunder Stone with them!"

* * *

Now Brenda, Brock, and Misty are outside, searching for Ash and Pikachu. Brenda asks, "Do you think they're going to do it? Do you really think Pikachu is going to Evolve?"

Misty shakes her head. "I don't know. Knowing Ash and Pikachu, I would normally say no way, they're too stubborn, but this seems different. He and Pikachu were really shaken by this loss." She sighs. "I've always teased Ash about refusing to Evolve Pikachu…I realize now that I shouldn't have. I don't want Ash to go and make a mistake he'll regret later."

Brock adds, "And don't forget Pikachu, he's the one that's actually going to have to go through the process of Evolving. If anyone's going to regret the choice, it will be Pikachu."

Brenda asks, "So we have to make sure that Ash and Pikachu don't make this decision too hastily." Brock and Misty nod in agreement.

They keep on searching. After a little while more, Misty stops them. "Listen, hear that?"

Ash's voice is saying, "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

Brock, Misty, and Brenda all go wide-eyed with surprise, realizing what Ash is saying. They run towards his voice. They find him and Pikachu on the lakeshore. Ash kneeling before Pikachu holding out the Thunder Stone.

Ash says to Pikachu, "If we do this, there's no going back, we'll never have a chance to undo this. You're absolutely certain?

Pikachu nods. "Pik."

Misty says with disbelief, "He's actually going through with it…"

Brock agrees, "I can't believe it…"

Ash says, "Alright then, let's do this."

Pikachu takes a step up towards the Thunder Stone. It moves to pick it up slowly. Then it suddenly moves by twisting around and knocks the Thunder Stone out of Ash's hand with an Iron Tail. "Chu pika!" The stone is flung up into the air. Once up there, Pikachu unleashes a Thunderbolt. "Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!" The electricity it releases impacts the stone and causes it to explode, shattering into shimmering dust that rains over Ash and Pikachu. Pikachu itself seems to sparkle and glow from this dust landing on it, but nothing happens from it.

Ash grins. "There. It's done."

Brock, Misty, and Brenda are stunned. Brenda demands, "Wait, what's done? I thought you were going to Evolve Pikachu!"

Ash only now notices that they're there. He grins at them. "No, we decided once and for all that Pikachu shouldn't Evolve. We decided to destroy the Thunder Stone so that we'd never be tempted again."

Brenda then asks, "But I thought you wanted Pikachu to get stronger. How are you going to do that without Evolving it?"

Ash grins and Pikachu leaps up onto his shoulder. "We decided that there's two ways to get stronger. An easy way and a hard way. In this case the easy way would be to Evolve. But as long as Pikachu doesn't Evolve, we're going to have to work that much harder to make it more powerful. In the end, the harder we work, the more powerful we'll get, even more so than a Raichu ever could, because it never had to work as hard. Right Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods in affirmation. "Pik."

Misty shakes her head in disbelief. "It shouldn't surprise me anymore, but you are most stubborn person I know Ash Ketchum. You and Pikachu both."

Ash looks to Pikachu. "Now that we have that settled, how about some special training?"

Pikachu grins and nods in agreement.

* * *

And so they train all night long and into the next day. Upon completing the training, Ash declares, "That's it! We have it! We have a new strategy that will help us win!"

Pikachu cheers, "Pik pikachu!"

Brock, Brenda, and Misty are leaned up against trees sleeping, apparently having nodded off while watching Ash and Pikachu train. Ash's shouting wakes them up. Misty groggily asks, "What's that…? You guys are done…? Can we go back to the Pokémon Center now…?"

Ash chuckles. "No way Misty, we need to leap right into action. It's time for a rematch." He then runs off along the lakeshore shouting, "Ritchie!"

Misty sighs, "Of course…" The three of them slowly and tiredly get up and follow Ash.

Somewhere else on the lake, Ritchie and Sparky are sitting on some rocks as Ritchie fishes. He hears Ash calling for him and looks up to see Ash running his way. He gets up and exclaims, "Ash! Is Pikachu better?"

Ash runs up to him and grins. "Don't worry, Pikachu is more than better."

Ritchie breathes a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad. I can't begin to explain how bad I felt. I really didn't mean to hurt Pikachu so badly."

Ash shakes his head. "No Ritchie, it was out fault. We were being too stubborn. Do you know what we realized overnight though?"

"What?"

"We realized that being stubborn was the key to getting stronger. We want a rematch."

Ritchie gasps. "A rematch!? After what happened yesterday!? How could you say that!?"

"Pikachu and I did a lot of thinking last night. You really had us considering using a Thunder Stone on Pikachu, but we decided that we could do better than that. You may be able to Mega Evolve your Raichu, but that doesn't mean we can't catch up with you, and I think we have after last night."

Ritchie nods reluctantly. "Alright…if that's what you really want…but I refuse to let this battle go as far as the last one did."

"Don't worry, it won't."

So the two prepare for their battle. Once again, Brock takes up position as referee. Sparky stands in front of Ritchie, and Pikachu in front of Ash. Before they begin battling, Ritchie suggests, "Maybe we shouldn't Mega Evolve this time."

Ash instantly rejects this by saying, "No way, I want you to go all out. Holding nothing back."

"If you say so…" He activates his Key Stone and declares, "Go, Mega Evolution!" and the process of Mega Evolution begins again as Sparky is transformed into a Mega Raichu. He then asks Ash, "Are you ready?"

Ash nods. "You bet. Why don't you make the first move?"

Ritchie nods reluctantly. "Okay…Sparky, use Thunder."

"Raiiiiiiii chuuuuuuuuuu!" Raichu unleashes a powerful Thunder attack.

Ash orders, "Alright Pikachu, Iron Tail, just like we planned!" Pikachu jumps up into the air and begins to use Iron Tail, but instead of leaping towards Sparky, it lets itself fall straight down, its tail jabbing into the ground. It now balances on its tail. "Great, now Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes its Thunderbolt, but it behaves oddly. Instead of being sent towards Sparky, it travels down the conductive path of Pikachu's Iron Tail and into the ground. The sudden burst of energy into the ground causes a shockwave of electricity to suddenly spread out across the battlefield. This surge of energy causes the ground to explode, sending chunks of rock and earth into the air. This debris in front of Pikachu effectively creates a shield and blocks the incoming Thunder attack.

Ash cheers, "Yeah, great job! Now up into the air with Iron Tail!"

Pikachu dislodges its tail and leaps up into the air. It begins to use Iron Tail to slam the falling debris towards Raichu, hitting it with accurate precision.

Brenda asks in surprise, "What is he doing!?"

Misty answers, "He's doing what he does best. He may stubborn, but that stubbornness can often lead to genius. He first improvised a shield, and then turned that shield into an attack."

Brenda simply responds, "Wow."

Ritchie grins, beginning to understand what's going on. "Alright, if that's the way you want to play, Sparky, wide range Thunder!"

"Raiiiiii chuuuuuuuuu!" The Mega Raichu begins to use its electricity to destroy the incoming debris.

Ash declares, "Alright Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Pikachu begins to Dash Around using Quick Attack, but instead of running along the floor, it leaps from various pieces of falling debris to the next. Is movement is completely erratic and random.

"Aim your Thunder at Pikachu again!" Sparky attempts to attack Pikachu, but it continuously misses.

Brock marvels, "Wow, Pikachu may not be able to out-speed a Mega Raichu on the ground, but in the air its movements are too random to be tracked!"

The last of the debris is now falling. Ash shouts, "Now Pikachu!"

Pikachu makes a quick leap for a rock straight above Sparky. Before anyone can react to this movement, it sends itself plummeting straight down, initiating a Volt Tackle. "Pika pika pika pika pika pika chu!" Having given it no chance to dodge, it impacts Sparky head on. As soon as its attack lands, it leaps backwards, landing in front of Ash.

Watching from behind some bushes is Team Rocket. They all chant in a whisper at once, "We choose you Pikachu, pull on through Pikachu, go outdo Pikachu, Pikachu, Pikachu!"

Back in the battle, Sparky is down on the ground, but not yet knocked out. Ash declares, "Alright Pikachu, it's time to finish this battle off! Use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu begins to charge electrical energy, but not in the normal way for a Thunderbolt. All around its body, electrical energy gathers, cloaking in entirely in electricity. As it charges energy it shouts, "Pikaaaaa, pikaaaaa…!" Everyone watching, including Ash, gasps in surprise. Pikachu then releases all of its gathered energy at once, shouting, "Piiii!" The energy is released as an amorphous orb-like mass of electricity that is constantly changing shapes as it flies towards Sparky.

Ritchie gets over his surprise long enough to shout, "Sparky, get out of the way!" Sparky attempts to leap out of the way, but it's too late. The electrical mass makes contact and explodes, releasing all of its energy. The moment it does, a massive bolt of lightning comes down from the sky and strikes Sparky. When the dust from this explosion settles, Sparky can be seen knocked out. It reverts back to its normal form.

Brock raises an arm and declares, "Sparky is unable to battle!"

Ash leaps up and cheers, "We did it!"

Pikachu also cheers, "Pik pikachu!" They begin to perform some sort of victory dance.

Misty asks, "Brock, what was that move?"

Brock says with some doubt, "I think it might have been Hallowed Lightning, the most powerful Electric-Type attack there is."

Brenda asks, "You don't sound certain. Why?"

"Normally Pikachu can't learn such a move through normal means. It has to be trained specially to use it. There's no way that Ash knew how teach it to Pikachu, so something else is at play here…" He goes into thought and suddenly exclaims, "I know what! Remember when Pikachu destroyed the Thunder Stone? It seemed to absorb some of the dust from it after doing so."

A flashback is shown of Pikachu destroying the Thunder Stone. After it does so, the falling dust from it lands on Pikachu and causes Pikachu to sparkle slightly.

Brock then continues to explain, "Pikachu must have absorbed some of that Thunder Stone's energy and used it to learn Hallowed Lightning!"

Misty points out, "So it was Pikachu's refusal to Evolve that gave it a new powerful move. That's fitting."

Ritchie walks over to Ash, who is still celebrating with Pikachu. He says, "Wow Ash, that was a great battle. I'm not going to lie. I thought you were crazy challenging us to a rematch." Ash and Pikachu stop their dance and Ash looks to Ritchie. "But you actually managed to pull it off. You beat us with a great strategy."

Ash smiles. "Evolving and Mega Evolving Sparky may have made it more powerful, but that doesn't mean everything."

Ritchie nods. "Yes, hard work and good strategy can overcome anything. You proved that to me here, and I'll never forgot it." He looks to Sparky and asks, "Isn't that right?"

Sparky nods. "Rai."

Ritchie then looks back to Ash, "Well, I guess we should get going then. We have to catch a boat back to Kalos."

Misty says, "Aw, are you sure you have to leave?"

Ritchie nods. "Sadly we do." He looks to Ash, "But now it's me who needs to beat you, so don't think this is our last battle."

Ash nods. "I'll count on it."

Ritchie walks off and waves to everyone. "Then this is goodbye. See you all soon." He and Sparky then run off.

_And once again Ash Pikachu were put to test, and once again they proved that when the going gets tough, they get going. And with a new move in its repertoire, Pikachu is sure to be stronger than ever after this, as the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	48. Episode 48: Attack of the Clones Part 1

**This two-part episode is dedicated to the Pokémon 20th Anniversary. Train on!**

* * *

Episode 48: Attack of the Clones Part 1

In some dark room, a group of scientists veiled in shadows are hard at work. One of them, seemingly the leader, paces the room back and forth as the others work away at their computers. One suddenly declares, "Mr. Morimoto! I think we have it! I think we've cracked the genetic code!"

This excites the lead scientist. He leaps over to that scientist's station and looks over the display on his computer. "By Arceus…we have…" He is utterly shocked. "Twenty years…I've spent the last twenty years of my life on this program…and it's finally coming to its completion. Project Viginti is finally coming to its fruition…" He steps up towards some sort of large glass cylinder in the center of the room and puts his hand on its surface. "And it's all thanks to you, my friend…" Inside the cylinder is a Pikachu. This is no ordinary Pikachu though. The bottom of the black tips on its ears are spikey in pattern instead of flat. The Pikachu is unconscious and hooked up to various electrodes and probes. It appears to be suffering intense pain. Morimoto continues, "We will create life…"

* * *

Ash and Pikachu are running through a city. Ash shouts back, "Come on guys, we're going to be late! He said we have to meet him fast!"

Behind him, Brock, Brenda, and Misty are struggling to keep up. Misty shouts, "Some of us aren't gifted with the infinite energy you seem to have, Ash! Why don't you slow down!?"

Ash looks back again and shouts, "Ha! I'll never slow-!"

While being distracted by looking backwards, Ash crashes right into someone. Ash gets knocked back. He quickly gets back up and brushes himself off. A voice says, "Ha, as clumsy as ever I see, huh Ashy-boy?"

Ash looks up to see that the person he crashed into was his once rival Gary Oak. He exclaims, "Gary!"

_On this momentous day we join our heroes as they meet up with yet another blast from the past. What a great way to celebrate today's occasion!_

Gary grins. "It's good to see you, Ash." Brock, Brenda, and Misty catch up. Gary nods towards them in greeting. "Brock, Misty."

Ash says to Brenda, "Brenda, this is Gary Oak, he's Professor Oak's grandson. He and I were rivals back during the good old days in Kanto and Johto."

Gary laughs. "Ha! Rival? To be rivals you'd actually have to be somewhat of a challenge to me."

This bugs Ash. "Hey, in case you forgot, I beat you in the Silver Conference!"

Gary laughs. "Calm down, I'm only kidding. Same old hot-headed Ash."

Ash does clam down, but still seems to resent the statement. He gets over it and asks, "So why'd you tell us to meet you here?"

"Gramps told me that you'd be coming by here about this time. I thought you'd want to know that there's a special Pokémon tournament being held today."

Ash completely cheers up. "Pokémon tournament!? I'm in!"

Gary chuckles. "I figured as much."

Brock asks, "What about you Gary, are you entering?"

"Nah, you know me. I gave up on all that stuff back after the Silver Conference. I'm here working with a Pokémon research company." He looks back to Ash. "Well, if you want to enter, you'd better get moving. Registration closes soon."

* * *

Ash steps up to the registration counter and declares, "I'd like to enter the Pokémon tournament."

The girl at the desk nods. "Certainly, may I see your Pokédex?" Ash hands her his Pokédex and she plugs it into a computer. All of Ash's statistics appear on the screen. She removes the Pokédex. "Alright, we're all good to go. You're entry number is 151, the first round battles will begin in twenty minutes. Good luck."

Ash grins with determination. "I don't need luck, I've got skill on my side."

Brenda asks somewhat doubtfully, "Do you really have enough skill, though?"

Ash turns his cap around. "I know I do."

* * *

And apparently he does, as the next thing seen is Ash's face being shown at the very top of a tournament bracket. He's made it to the final round.

Ash, along with Brock, Brenda, Misty, and Gary, are in some sort of waiting room. Ash says, "You see, my Pokémon and I made it all the way to the finals. Plenty of skill."

Gary than points out, "I hate to burst your bubble Ashy-boy, but you might have a problem in the final round."

Ash looks to him. "Huh? What's that?"

"I've noticed that throughout the tournament so far, you've only used four Pokémon. I'm betting that that means that they're the only Pokémon you have on you right now. Well the final match is a full battle. You need six Pokémon to compete."

Ash plays it off as if it's no big deal. "I knew that. I have a plan."

Misty looks at him and says frankly, "And by that, you mean that you had no clue whatsoever, and are now going to run to the nearest Pokémon transporter and get Pokémon from Oak's lab."

Ash nods. "Exactly." He runs off.

* * *

Having solved his dilemma, Ash has now taken a position in the main battlefield in the center of a large stadium with a full audience. He and Pikachu stand ready for whatever comes next. Across from them stands another trainer, a tall and tough looking man. The man throws a Pokéball and releases a Dragonite.

Ash grins, and pulls a Pokéball out too, and throws it. Out comes his Greninja. Ash gives it some words of encouragement, and then the referee declares the beginning of the battle. Greninja starts the battle off by launching a Water Shuriken attack. The Dragonite flies up into the air with great speed to dodge. It then charges downwards at Greninja with a Dragon Rush. Greninja intercepts with an Aerial Ace and the two Pokémon collide.

As the battle rages on, Ash begins to have flashbacks of his experiences with Greninja. He remembers meeting it when it was just a Froakie. It leaps into battle to save Ash from Team Rocket using its Frubbles. Then he thinks about when it battled with Grant's Onix, and how it used its jumping abilities to climb a Rock Tomb attack and go in for a direct attack at Onix. Then he sees it Evolve into Frogadier in order to help him and Sanpei. He remembers its battle against Sawyer's Grovyle, and how evenly matched the two were. Finally, he remembers its Evolution into Greninja, and further transformation into Ash-Greninja.

Back in the battle, Dragonite is flying in circles around Greninja. It launches a Hyper Beam Attack. Greninja leaps out of the way with high agility, and then launches a volley of successive Water Shurikens at it, each one hitting. Dragonite falls to floor, knocked out. Ash and Greninja jump up in cheer.

The opponent reluctantly recalls Dragonite. He then throws a different Pokéball, sending out a Gengar. Ash nods, returns Greninja, and then sends out Krookodile. Krookodile makes the first move by running in to use a Crunch attack. Before it can make contact, Gengar fades away into nothingness. It then reappears behind Krookodile and launches a Shadow Ball Attack. It may hit Krookodile, but it seems unharmed. It quickly turns around and attacks with a close range Stone Edge attack, knocking Gengar back.

This sends Ash into a flashback sequence of his memories of Krookodile. He remembers the first time he saw it, when it was just a Sandile. It pops up out of the ground in the spa resort that Ash was at. He remembers helping it recover its stolen sunglasses from a group of Ducklett, and then it Evolving into Krokorok during a battle with Pikachu. Then its Krokorok and Pikachu's rematch battle, after which Ash invites Krokorok to join the team. The next memory is of its battle with Iris' Dragonite in the Pokémon World Tournament Junior Cup, during which it Evolves into Krookodile and wins the battle for Ash. In the final memory, it's Ash and Stephan's battle in the Vertress Conference, Krookodile defeats both his Liepard and Sawk, winning Ash the battle.

Back in the battle, a surprise Shadow Punch attack from Gengar has just knocked Krookodile's sunglasses off. It panics for a moment and fumbles to put them back on. Once it does, it leaps in for a vengeful Crunch attack and defeats Gengar.

The opponent recalls Gengar and quickly sends out his next Pokémon. This time it's an Alakazam. Ash recalls Krookodile and sends out Infernape in its place. The battle begins when Alakazam uses its psychic powers to lift Infernape into the air. Infernape quickly counters with a Flamethrower, causing Alakazam to lose focus and drop it. Once on the ground, Infernape rushes in with a Mach Punch for a direct hit.

And so begins Infernape's flashback montage. Ash remembers his first battle with Paul, where he used Chimchar against Ash's Aipom. Then he sees himself during the Hearthome Tag Battle Tournament, when Paul refused to give Chimchar any orders. Ash took control of the situation. Immediately following that event, Paul releases Chimchar, and Ash offers it a place on his team. Then he remembers the first time he experienced its Blaze activating, when Chimchar was battling Paul's Ursaring. Ash had to calm it down by getting in its way and embracing it. He remembers it Evolving into Monferno during Ash's full battle with Paul, but then failing to defeat Electabuzz. He sees it using its Blaze once more, but managing to overcome its rage and then Evolve into Infernape. Lastly he sees Infernape mastering its Blaze and using it to defeat Paul's Electavire, thus winning Ash's Lily of the Valley Conference match with Paul.

The battle between Alakazam and Infernape rages on. Alakazam unleashes a rapid fire barrage of Psybeam attacks, but Infernape manages to dodge each and every one of them. It then becomes cloaked in fire as it charges at Alakazam with a mighty Flare Blitz. Alakazam is rendered unable to battle. Infernape jumps for joy and celebrates.

Getting annoyed, the opponent recalls Alakazam and sends in a Pidgeot. Ash recalls Infernape and replaces it with Sceptile. Sceptile attacks first by leaping at Pidgeot with a Leaf Blade attack. Pidgeot flies straight up to avoid the attack, it then flies straight down at Sceptile for an Aerial Ace. Sceptile leaps to the side and attacks with Bullet Seed as it does. This attack hits.

Ash begins to reminiscence about Sceptile now. He remembers battling it with Pikachu when it was Treeko and then catching it. He sees it Evolving at the same time as Guy's Loudred, and then battling Grovyle vs. Exploud. He sees it then Evolving again, this time to save its beloved Meganium. He sees it battling with May's newly Evolved Blaziken in the final round of the Terra Cotta Pokémon Contest, tying with it in the end. The final feat seen is during the Lily of the Valley Conference when a well-placed Leaf Blade managed to defeat Tobias' Darkrai, making it the only Pokémon in the entire conference to do so.

Back in the battle, Pidgeot is flapping its wings at high speed, creating a powerful Gust attack. Sceptile is doing all it can to anchor itself to the floor. With quick thought from Ash, it attacks with a powerful Solar Beam, knocking Pidgeot out of the sky. Sceptile wins the fight.

The opponent is angry now. He recalls Pidgeot and sends out a Raticate next. Ash once again recalls his Pokémon and sends out another. This one is Bayleaf. Raticate rushes in to attack with Hyper Fang, but Bayleaf keeps it at a distance by using Vine Whip to deter it. It then attacks with Razor Leaf, landing a solid hit.

And so Ash remembers his experience with Bayleaf. He remembers when he first met it as a stubborn Chikorita and how he saved it when it got lost in the cold. After that Chikorita grew very affectionate towards Ash, and quick montage of it cuddling up to Ash and leaping into his arms are shown, as well as its jealousy towards Pikachu. Then he remembers when it Evolved into Bayleaf so that it could protect Ash. Following that is a montage of it tackling Ash because it's too big for its own good now. The final memory is of its defeat of Harrison's Houndoom in the Silver Conference, where it used Vine Whip as a muzzle to stop its attack.

Bayleaf is now in the process of Body Slamming Raticate, the force of which knocks it out. Ash cheers, and Bayleaf celebrates by Body Slamming him too.

The opponent is down to his last Pokémon. He is absolutely outraged. He sends out a Venusaur. Ash struggles under Bayleaf's weight to recall it. Once he does he looks to Pikachu and nods. Pikachu nods back, and then runs out onto the field. The battle begins with both Pokémon launching an attack, Venusaur a Razor Leaf and Pikachu a Thunderbolt. The two attacks cancel each other out. Venusaur then slams its feet to the ground and summons a Frenzy Plant. Pikachu uses Quick Attack to dodge and weave around each of the massive vines. It then turns the Quick Attack into a Volt Tackle and rams into Venusaur.

Ash thinks all the way back to the very beginning. He sees the first time he met Pikachu, and it shocking him. He remembers having to drag it along with him, wearing rubber gloves to avoid shock. Then he thinks about Pikachu protecting him from the flock of Spearow, and how they first became friends. He remembers his battle with Lt. Surge, and Pikachu's refusal to Evolve or give up. He remembers almost leaving Pikachu behind so that it could live with its own kind, but Pikachu refusing this and coming back. Then it's when Pikachu defeated Drake's Dragonite and won Ash the Orange League. Then it's when it defeated Brandon's Regice, getting Ash his seventh and final Frontier Symbol. He remembers it fighting Tobias' Latios and defeating it, but also fainting itself in the process. He thinks about when it combined Electro Ball and Iron Tail in order to defeat Trip's Serperior at the Vertress Conference. Ash's completes his flashback sequence with a rapid fire montage of all the other great memories the two have made together.

Pikachu and Venusaur's battle is getting heated. Venusaur attacks with a Solar Beam, which Pikachu only just barely dodges. Pikachu tries to move in for an Iron Tail, but gets repelled by a Petal Blizzard. Venusaur then uses another Frenzy Plant. Pikachu leaps up into the air and begins to charge electrical energy. After charging for a moment it releases its newest attack, Hollowed Lighting. The orb of electricity hits Venusaur and explodes on impact. The moment it does a bolt of lightning comes down from the sky and strike Venusaur as well. When the smoke clears, Venusaur has been knocked out. Ash and Pikachu win the battle.

* * *

Ash is standing on the top of a podium. A man walks up to him carrying a large trophy. He announces via a microphone, "And it is our pleasure to declare Ash Ketchum of Pallet Town the winner of 20th Annual Aurora City Pokémon Tournament!" He steps closer to Ash and holds out the trophy. "As mayor of Aurora City, I hereby present you with…"

He trails off as everyone in the stadium seems to be pointing up towards something in the sky. He and Ash both look up. Floating above the stadium is a Pokémon. Not just any Pokémon. Mewtwo. In a sudden booming and commanding voice, Mewtwo declares for all to hear, "People of Aurora City! You have one hour to reveal to me the location of Project Viginti!

Ash says in disbelief, "Mewtwo…"

Watching from the stands, Misty and Brock both look to each other in shock. Brenda appears scared. Gary is the most dumbfounded of all. He stammers, "N…no…that's not possible…it's _that_ Pokémon…"

Mewtwo concludes, "If those responsible for Project Viginti have not revealed themselves to me by then, your city _will_ be destroyed!"

With that, people run like crazy to escape the stadium.

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, Misty, and Gary are in a Pokémon Center. People are running frantically around in panic. Nurse Joy announces, "Please, everyone remain calm. There's no need to make such a panic." Her words do little.

Misty asks Ash and Brock, "So was that really…?"

They both nod in response. Ash finishes, "The same Pokémon we met in Johto…Mewtwo…"

Gary appears to be locked deep in thought. Ash asks him, "Gary, what's the matter?"

"That Pokémon…I never thought I would see it again…"

"You've seen Mewtwo before? Where?"

"Remember when I challenged the Viridian Gym?"

Ash nods. "You came out the most spooked I've ever seen you in my life."

"Exactly. Because I fought a Pokémon with impossibly powerful strength. That was the Pokémon I faced. I never thought I would see it again, but here it is."

Brenda is about to say something when she is interrupted by the booming amplified voice of Mewtwo from outside. "People of Aurora City!" Everyone runs outside. There they see Mewtwo floating above the city's skyline. "Your hour is up, and I have yet to see those behind Project Viginti!" He begins to charge energy in a field around him, preparing to use a massive Psystrike attack. Everyone in sight cowers in fear.

Just before the attack is released, another figure appears in front of Mewtwo. It's yet another Mewtwo. The first Mewtwo suddenly cancels his attack with the shock of seeing another. The second Mewtwo speaks with an arrogant female voice, "Project Viginti will not be yours!"

The first Mewtwo looks over the second. He scowls. "Nor will I allow you to have it." They stare at each other intensely for several moments.

Brenda says in shock, "There are two of them…!?"

Ash says in surprise, "I've seen that Mewtwo before also…in the Unova Region…"

The first Mewtwo breaks the silence by declaring, "None will stand in my way!" He raises an arm activates his psychic powers. Around the entire perimeter of the city, a psychic barrier is erected, blocking off the city from the outside world. Unfortunately, Ash and the group were standing right at the boundary, with the Pokémon Center being outside the main city. Ash, Brock, and Misty are trapped inside, Brenda and Gary are trapped outside. They all gasp.

The second Mewtwo declares, "You'll regret challenging me to a fight."

The first Mewtwo scoffs. "I regret nothing." Suddenly at the same time they both unleash their first attack, the first Mewtwo attacks with a Shadow Ball and the second with an Aura Sphere. The two evenly matched attacks collide and explode. After another moment of gauging each other, the two Mewtwo charge at each other with barriers of psychic energy around them.

Down on the ground there is massive panic as everyone trapped inside the psychic field desperately tries to get out. Brenda pounds on the barrier and shouts, "Are you guys okay?"

Ash looks to Misty and Brock, then back to Brenda. He shouts back, "Yeah, we're fine!"

Gary shouts, "You three have got to stop those Pokémon from fighting! With their power they could easily destroy the city in the crossfire! Brenda and I will work on getting through this barrier!"

Ash nods. He looks to Brock and Misty. "Well guys, I guess that leaves us, the original three."

Misty nods. "The three musketeers."

Brock adds, "The three amigos."

Ash twists his cap around backwards. "Let's do this." They look towards the center of the city, where the Mewtwo fight in the air.

Misty asks, "Do you have a plan, Ash?"

Ash points to a tall building. "There! If we get to the top of that building, maybe we could talk to Mewtwo. If it remembers us saving its life, maybe we can get it to calm down."

Brock nods. "Sounds like a plan."

But after running only a short distance, they are stopped by a police barricade. An Officer Jenny spots them and orders, "Stop right there! It's dangerous to get any closer, please remain at the edge of the city!"

Ash turns to Jenny and pleads, "Please, you have to let us through. We know those Pokémon! We think we can get them to stop!"

Misty adds, "He's telling the truth Officer, please."

Brock adds, "Let us through, and I'll treat you to a date later." Misty hits him on the back of the head.

Jenny looks uncertain. "I can't just allow people to cross the police line willy-nilly. We're in full crisis mode right now."

Ash asserts, "We can stop the fighting. If you don't let us through, you're only going to make things worse."

Jenny sighs. "Alright. Fine." She moves one of the barricades to let them through. As they're going past she salutes them. Brock does a goofy salute back and then they dash off.

* * *

Also trapped in the city is Team Rocket. They watch the two Mewtwo clash via binoculars. Meowth declares, "Lucky day, lucky day!"

James, reading his mind, says, "Wait a second, you're not actually thinking about trying to capture those Mewtwo, are you?"

Meowth nods. "Of course I am."

Jessie objects, "But they're so powerful, we wouldn't stand a chance."

Meowth looks to the two of them. "You're not thinking this fully through. Don't you remember how much The Boss wanted Mewtwo? If he was willing to go through such lengths to just capture one, think about how through the roof he'd be with two. This is a red-hot opportunity we have to seize to get out of the monetary blues. We'll be rolling in the green stuff as long as we don't act yellow. Our reward would be so grand. I'm talking gold, silver, and crystals!"

Jessie starts to get interested. She asks, "How about rubies, sapphires, and emeralds? Those are some fiery valuables better than gold leaf."

James asks, "Or diamonds, pearls, and platinum? Those treasures have some true heart and soul."

Meowth exclaims, "I see no reason this should be black and white! We can have all of them!"

Jessie says with some glee, "I think this shouldn't be black and white, too."

Meowth nods. "That's the spirit! These Mewtwo are an X on our treasure map, so Y not catch them? I'm talking the alpha to omega of rewards! As the Sun rises on this new day in Team Rocket history, we will shoot for the Moon!"

James proclaims, "This is such an exciting prospect that I'll never end up catching any Z's any time soon!"

They all cheer at once, "Gotta catch 'em all!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon stores electricity in the electric sacs on its cheeks. When it releases pent-up energy in a burst, the electric power is equal to a lightning bolt.**

* * *

The two Mewtwo continue to battle. They're first ramming into each other with psychic barriers. This proves ineffective and they both pause for a moment. They then both charge a field of psychic energy around their bodies. After charging for a few moments, they both release a powerful blast of energy in the form of a Psystrike. The opposing attacks barely do anything to their intended targets, but do cause widespread destruction to the buildings all around them. Windows shatter and bricks fall apart.

At once, both Mewtwo pause and declare, "Enough! This ends now!" They then both begin to glow intensely. Their shape begins to change. Then there's a flash of light. When it subsides, the first Mewtwo has become Mega Mewtwo X while the second has become the awakened Mega Mewtwo Y.

After inspecting their opponent for a moment, they go right back into battle, this time fighting in a much more dynamic way. They fly at high speeds zigzagging back and forth across the city's skyline. They trade volleys of Shadow Balls and Aura Spheres and always manage to deflect, block, or dodge the incoming projectiles. After trying this for a while, both raise their arms and attempt a Psychic attack at the same time. They mentally grapple with each other as one attempts to assert control over the other. There is a blast from this struggle and both are thrown back.

Just as this is going on, Ash, Brock, and Misty emerge on the roof of a nearby building. Ash runs out onto the edge of the building and shouts, "Mewtwo, you have to stop this! You're destroying the city!"

* * *

**It's Pikachu!**

* * *

On TV a news report is showing Ash standing at the edge of the building. A reporter says, "And now it would seem that a boy has stepped forward towards these mysterious Pokémon. What his reasons possibly could be are unknown."

All around the world there are people watching this new report. Serena is sitting and watching it. Upon looking closely she leaps up and shouts, "Ash, no!"

Also watching is Clemont and Bonnie. Clemont is hard at work on some sort of machine, so he's not focusing on the TV. Bonnie pouts, "No fair, I want to meet those cool Pokémon too. Lucky Ash." She crosses her arms angrily.

Clemont looks up from his work. "Ash!?"

In a Pokémon Center, Iris is playing with Axew. Axew looks up a nearby TV and points. "Ax axew!"

Iris asks, "What is it Axew?" She looks up and gasps upon seeing Ash. She says with disbelief, "Such a kid."

Cilan is in the middle of a battle at the Striaton Gym, battling alongside Pansage. Cress and Chili burst into the room and Chili shouts, "Cilan, you have to see the news! Your friend Ash is on it!"

Cilan asks, "What has he gotten himself into this time?"

Sitting backstage is Dawn in her contest attire and Piplup. Dawn sees that several coordinators have gathered around a TV. She goes over to see what they're watching. Once she sees Ash on it, she shouts with panic, "Oh no, need to worry, need to worry!"

May walks through a mall of some kind. Max is reluctantly following her. He complains, "Are you almost done?"

May smiles. "Don't worry, just a little-" They both freeze as they pass an electronics store with TVs in the window.

In Professor Oak's living room, he, Ash's mom, and Tracey are watching the news. As soon as Ash appears, his mom leaps up and shouts, "Ash Ketchum! Get down from there, right now! It's not safe!"

Oak tries to calm her, "Now, now Delia, I'm sure Ash knows what he's doing."

Tracey nods in agreement. "He has to." Ash's mom doesn't seem convinced.

Also watching the TV through the window is Charizard and Bulbasaur. They look to each other and nod in unspoken agreement at something.

One other watching the news is Squirtle with the other members of the Squirtle Squad in a fire station. Squirtle removes its glasses for a better look and leans in towards the TV.

* * *

Ash's shout has gotten the attention of the Mewtwo. They both freeze in place and look towards Ash. With shock, both exclaim, "That boy!"

Mewtwo X has a flashback to the time Ash ran in between the attack being launched by him and Mew when they battled. How he sacrificed himself to stop the fighting. He then remembers when Ash brought him to a spring of renewal when he was extremely hurt from Giovanni's trap.

Mewtwo Y remembers how Ash did all he could to protect one of the Genesect while she was busy fighting the Red Genesect.

Mewtwo X asks, himself, _What force of destiny has brought this boy before me once again?_

Seeing that he has their attention, Ash shouts, "What are you two doing? I thought you were better than this! Your fighting with each other is destroying everything around you! You can't keep this up!"

Mewtwo X looks to Ash, and then back to Mewtwo Y. He declares, "I owe you for saving my life, but there is more at stake than you could fathom. This battle must go on."

Mewtwo Y declares, "For once you and I agree on something."

And just like that, they go back to fighting. Brock says, "No, this isn't good! If we can't stop them this entire city will be wrecked by nightfall!"

Misty asserts, "We have to do something else!"

Ash nods in agreement. He reaches down to his belt to grab a Pokéball. "Let's see what Infernape can do about this." But his hand grasps at nothing.

Misty asks, "What's wrong Ash?"

"My Pokéballs, in the hurry to see what was going on outside, I never picked them up from Nurse Joy!" He looks to Pikachu. "It's up to you then, Pikachu. We have to stop them."

Pikachu nods in understanding. "Pik."

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu jumps off of Ash's shoulder and into the air. "Pikaaaaaaaa chuuuuuuuuu!" It attacks with massive electrical attack spread over a wide range, catching both combating Mewtwo within it. Pikachu jumps back to Ash's shoulders.

Both Mewtwo are completely unharmed by the attack. Mewtwo X turns to Ash and proclaims, "You will not interfere!" As a warning shot, it creates a telekinetic burst right next to Ash, causing to lose his balance and fall back. As he does Pikachu falls forward. As Ash was standing at the edge of the building, Pikachu falls off.

Pikachu cries in terror, "Chuuuuuu!"

Ash shouts in horror, "Pikachu!" Without thinking twice he runs forward and leaps off the building after Pikachu.

Brock and Misty both shout, "Ash!"

Collectively, Serena, Clemont, Bonnie, Iris, Cilan, Dawn, May, Max, Tracey, Ash's mom, and Professor Oak, all watching Ash as he leaps on the news, shout, "Ash!"

**To Be Continued…**


	49. Episode 49: Attack of the Clones Part 2

Episode 49: Attack of the Clones Part 2

Gary and Brenda are still standing outside of Mewtwo's barrier. Gary has his Blastoise out and using repeated Hydro Cannons on the barrier while Brenda is having Glitterfly attack with a continuous Solar Beam. Both Pokémon are concentrating their attacks on the same spot. Brenda complains, "It's worthless, these attacks aren't making a dent."

Gary declares, "We have to keep on trying! We have to get in there!"

Suddenly something from behind them roars. From behind the combination of an Overheat, Solar Beam, and Hydro Pump blasts forward and hits the barrier at the same point as Blastoise and Glitterfly's attacks. The combined forces of the attacks causes a segment of the barrier to shatter. As soon as it does, something flies by at too high speeds to be seen and flies through the hole created.

Brenda asks in surprise, "What was that!?"

Gary answers, "I don't know, but there's our entrance, and it's closing up!" The hole in the barrier is repairing itself. Brenda and Gary quickly recall their Pokémon and leap through the hole right before it seals completely.

* * *

Pikachu is falling. It shouts, "Chuuuuuuuu!"

Ash has just leaped off a building after it. He positions himself to dive headfirst, as to increase his speed. "Don't worry Pikachu, I'm coming!" He dives until he catches up with Pikachu and grabs it. "I've got you!" The two embrace as they continue to fall.

Just as all seems hopeless for them, they stop falling. Ash realizes this and opens his eyes. He looks up to see he's been caught by Charizard. He exclaims, "Charizard!" The dragon Pokémon responds by bathing Ash's head in fire, scorching it. Ash quickly shakes it off and the two laugh. Then, from behind Charizard's back, Squirtle and Bulbasaur peek out. "Squirtle and Bulbasaur too!" Ash grins joyfully. "Thank you so much, guys." He then swings around Charizard and plops down on his back. Pikachu climbs to the top of his head, while Squirtle and Bulbasaur each take a shoulder. Ash says with determination, "Now, we've got some business to attend to."

Misty and Brock have just watched Ash leap off the edge of a building. Both are in shock. Misty says with disbelief, "Ash…"

The Mewtwo seem to not care enough to worry. They have gone back to fighting.

Suddenly Brock raises his head and exclaims, "Misty, look!"

Misty looks up in surprise to see Charizard rising up with Ash, Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur. She exclaims, "Ash! You're alright!"

Ash nods. "You bet I am. These guys saw us on the news and Charizard flew them all the way here at top speed." He looks up to the fighting Mega Mewtwo. "Come on guys, let's see if we can put an end to this fight!" Charizard lifts up at high speed towards the Mewtwo. "Charizard, Flamethrower! Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf! Squirtle, Hydro Pump! Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Charizard and Bulbasaur attack Mewtwo X while Pikachu and Squirtle attack Mewtwo Y. The unexpected attacks catch them off guard and all make contact. Very little damage seems to occur though.

This catches both of the Mewtwo's attention. Mewtwo X shouts, "I told you not to interfere!"

Ash sternly replies, "There's no way you're stopping me from interfering when you're causing so much destruction! I've said it before, and I'll say it again! This battle has to end! We'll put it to an end ourselves if we have to!"

Charizard roars, Squirtle adds, "Squirtle!" Bulbasaur declares, "Bulba!" and Pikachu shouts, "Pika!"

Mewtwo Y, speaking to the Pokémon but not Ash, says, "I do not wish to hurt other Pokémon. Stand down, now."

The Pokémon all refuse.

Mewtwo X declares, "You are a foolish boy. I may not have destroyed you before, but that seems to be what you wish for!"

Ash shouts, "We'll fight until the end if we have to!"

Both Mewtwo declare, "So be it!"

And so a massive three-way battle begins. Mewtwo X flings two Shadow Balls, one with each hand, with one aimed at Charizard and the other at Mewtwo Y. Mewtwo Y uses its psychic powers to capture the attack and fling it towards Charizard as well. In response to both attacks, Charizard flies straight up at a high velocity. Both Mewtwo X and Y fly up after it. As they're climbing, they exchange attacks of Shadow Ball and Aura Sphere respectively. Bulbasaur and Squirtle aim their Solar Beam and Hydro Pump attacks downward, each aimed at a different Mewtwo. Both Mewtwo create a psychic barrier that blocks the attack. They then each fling a Shadow Ball and Aura Sphere upwards at Charizard.

Charizard dodges with a barrel roll to the right and cancels its upward momentum. Both Mewtwo continue to fly straight up, not stopping in time to catch Charizard. Pikachu launches a Thunderbolt straight up at them. It is joined by a Water Gun, Razor Leaf, and Flamethrower. Each Mewtwo uses Psychic to take the attacks aimed at them, and deflect them towards the other Mewtwo. In the end, both are hit by this tactic. They then both fly straight down, returning to the same level as Charizard. They begin to circle around Charizard, each Mewtwo remaining at opposite sides of it as they rotate. Each launches a Shadow Ball and Aura Sphere. Charizard waits until the last moment and then flies straight upwards again. The two attacks pass by each other and then move on towards the opposite Mewtwo. Both Mewtwo deflect the projectile off to the side.

Getting close to the top of the barrier surrounding the city, Charizard stops flying upwards and dives down. Once it's flown downwards enough to give it space, it levels off and flies forward. The two Mewtwo are in hot pursuit once again. Bulbasaur climbs to a better position on Ash's back and then launches two seeds from its bulb. The seeds are harmless enough to go unnoticed and one lands on each Mewtwo. Once they do, vines begin to grow out them and ensnare the Mewtwo. Bulbasaur has successfully seeded them with Leech Seed. Ash cheers as the Mewtwo are slowed down by the tangling vines. Some of their health is sapped. However, both Mewtwo quickly begin to charge for a Psystrike. The resulting field of psychic energy around them burns up and destroys the vines. They then launch their attacks at each other, but also deflect the attack from the other. The deflected Psystrikes cause massive collateral damage to the surrounding buildings. The Mewtwo then go back to pursuing Charizard. Once again, they both launch their respective projectile attacks. However, this time they are not thrown centered at Charizard, but just off to the side, one on the left, one on the right. Charizard has no choice but to try to dodge. It moves to the right, to dodge the Aura Sphere, only to be hit in the wing by Shadow Ball on its right. This sends Charizard into a diving tailspin, plummeting towards the ground. Both Mewtwo count Charizard as finished and return their attention to battling each other.

Just as this happens, Brenda and Gary are running up underneath. Brenda points up, seeing Ash and his Pokémon falling. "Ash!"

Gary shouts, "I've got this!" He throws a Pokéball. "Go, Orbitross!" He sends out an Orbitross. "Use Tornado to cushion Charizard's fall!" Orbitross begins to flap its wings powerfully, which causes the air in front of it to spin around in a whirlwind. A full-fledged tornado is eventually made. This tornado is then flung towards Charizard.

As Charizard falls, the tornado catches it. Charizard is immediately slowed and begins to spin with the tornado as it continues to fall and decelerate. It then lands safely on the ground. Brenda runs up to him and asks, "Ash, are you okay?"

Ash nods, "Yeah…I'm fine." He looks up to see the two Mewtwo still fighting up above. He clenches his fist in anger.

Gary recalls Orbitross. "You're lucky we came along when we did. What were you thinking taking on those Pokémon all by yourself?"

As Ash is about to answer, Brock and Misty come running towards them, Misty shouts with relief, "Ash! You scared me back there! That's twice in barely any time at all that I thought you were a goner!"

Ash turns to Charizard and asks, "Are you alright?"

Charizard roars and breathes fire into the sky as a show of strength.

Ash begins to climb back onto its back. "Good, we need to get back up there."

Gary objects, "Whoa, hold up a sec. What do you think you're doing? You know as well as I do that there's nothing you can do to help up there. Even if it were only one Mewtwo you would be outmatched. You can't possibly hope to beat two."

Brock nods in agreement. "He's right Ash. That entire fight you placed on the defensive. Any actual attacks you launched were easily blocked, deflected, or countered."

Ash states, "Unless anyone has any better ideas, that's our only option."

Gary then says, "Well it's a good thing I have an idea then."

Misty asks, "Really, you do?"

Gary nods. "Back at the stadium, when Mewtwo first issued its ultimatum, it said it was looking for something called Project Viginti. In the heat of the moment it didn't occur to me, but I might actually have some information on what Project Viginti is. The other day, at the research lab I work at, I heard two of the executive Pokémon researchers talking on the down low about something. I'm certain I heard one of them mention Project Viginti. That must mean it's a project being conducted in secret at the labs. If we can find out what Viginti is, maybe we can figure out how to stop the Mewtwo."

Brock nods. "That sounds like a solid plan to me."

Ash nods. "Alright, let's do it."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon's sturdy fangs grow steadily. To keep them ground down, it gnaws on rocks and logs. It may even chew on the walls of houses.**

* * *

Gary has lead everyone else to his research facility. Charizard, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle still follow behind Ash. The building is currently abandoned. He steps up to a computer terminal and says, "Computer, where is Project Viginti operating?"

The computer responds, "Information on Project Viginti is restricted to authorized personal only. Please state your name and position to proceed."

"Gary Oak, Pokémon researcher."

"I'm sorry, but you do not have the authorization for information of Project Viginti. Have a nice day."

Gary curses, "Shoot!"

Brenda asks, "So what do we do now?"

Gary looks around. "Well…there's no one here to stop us from doing some snooping around. I do know the general area where all the top secret research is performed. Let's look around and see if we can dig up anything." He points ahead to a staircase going down. "All restricted research is performed in the below ground levels." He leads them all down.

They head down the stairs and find themselves in a dimly lit corridor that seems to stretch on for quite a while. Brenda marvels, "It's so big…" Her voice echoes through the corridor.

Gary explains, "I've never been down here before, but supposedly these corridors stretch across the entire city underground."

Brock asks, "If there's so many corridors, how are we supposed to find our one project?"

Gary thinks. "I suggest we split up into two groups. That way we can cover more ground. Brenda and I will go that way," he points behind them, "and you three will go forward." He pulls out a Pokéssistant and asks, "Do any of you have one of these?"

Brock nods. "Yeah, I do."

"Good. We'll use the phone app to keep in touch."

Ash nods. "Let's do it. We need to be as quick as we can."

Brenda says, "Alright guys, good luck."

Misty says, "The same to you two."

Without waiting any longer, Ash and his Pokémon run off. Misty and Brock run to catch up. Gary and Brenda head off in the opposite direction.

* * *

**It's Raticate!**

* * *

Back above ground, the fight of the two Mewtwo is currently at a standstill. Both simply float in the air as they watch each other carefully, gauging movement and looking for weaknesses. Mewtwo X thinks, _Neither of us belong in this world. This knockoff has been fooled into believing she can stop me. I will see to it that that problem is not worsened. I would sacrifice myself to do so._

Mewtwo Y thinks, _What could he possibly wish to accomplish? How could Project Viginti help him in any way? Neither he nor I belong in this world…we were just mistakes that shall not be repeated._

The thought of both is interrupted when a group of orb-shaped modules begin to orbit around each one of them. Mewtwo X demands, "What is this!?" The modules then generate an energy barrier that encapsulates each Mewtwo.

Mewtwo Y asks, "Who is foolish enough to attempt this?"

To answer this question, Team Rocket's balloon rises into sight. Jessie answers, "Prepare for trouble, we're twenty years strong!"

James declares, "Make it double, we're about to break out in song!"

"To be the very best, like no one ever was!"

"To catch them as our test, to steal them our cause!"

"To travel across the land, searching far and wide!"

"To understand the power that's inside!"

"A heart so true, Jessie!"

"Courage that will pull through, James!"

"Every challenge along the way, with courage Team Rocket will face!"

"We will battle every day to claim our rightful place!"

Meowth pops up. "Meowth! Gotta catch 'em all!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Mewtwo X shouts with rage, "Team Rocket!?" He then uses Psystrike to rip right out of the energy cage he was trapped in. Mewtwo Y does the same.

Team Rocket is stunned. Jessie askes, "Meowth…didn't you say those cages would hold anything…?"

Meowth answers, "I believe my exact words were 'It would hold a raging Gyarados with ease.'"

James then says, "Newsflash: Mewtwo are more powerful than Gyarados!"

Meowth gulps nervously. "How was I supposed to know the salesman meant it literally? I thought it was a figure of speech to mean it will hold anything."

Both Mewtwo launch another Psystrike. Team Rocket's balloon is completely destroyed and a massive explosion ensues. Team Rocket is sent flying into the air. They shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blast-!" They're cut off when they slam into the top of Mewtwo's barrier. They then fall screaming.

The Mewtwo then launch back into their fight.

* * *

Ash, his Pokémon, Brock, and Misty are walking through the dimly lit underground corridor. Misty says, "Gee, this hallway seems to stretch on forever."

Brock states, "Well it has to end at some point."

Ash says, "And when it does, we'll figure out what this Project Viginti is."

Misty asks, "But how will we know it if we find Project Viginti?"

Brock guesses, "This hallway is so monotonous that something as important as Project Viginti's location should be immediately apparent."

They all suddenly halt as a blast of electricity is shot at their feet. They look up to see a strange floating spherical machine in front of them. It orders in an electronic voice, "You are trespassing in a restricted area. Leave immediately or be destroyed."

Ash shouts, "We're not going anywhere until we find Project Viginti." He looks to Charizard. "Use Flamethrower!" Charizard scorches the robot with a powerful breath of fire. Ash grins. "It's going to take more than a silly robot to stop us."

Misty says, "Um…Ash? I think your confidence might be a little unwarranted."

Not only is the robot still floating, but it has set off an alarm. Suddenly, more robots just like it are pouring in from all around. Brock shouts, "Run!" They all run forward. The robots give chase.

Ash and his Pokémon turn back to launch one combined attack to try to slow them down. Pikachu uses Thunderbolt, Bulbasaur uses Vine Whip, Squirtle uses Water Gun, and Charizard uses Overheat. The attacks do very little. The robots retaliate with an electrical beam shot out of a gun attached to their underside. Ash and the Pokémon turn back around and run again.

* * *

Gary and Brenda are still walking through their corridor. Brenda, trying to make small talk, comments, "So you and Ash must go way back."

Gary nods. "You bet we do. We were neighbors growing up in Pallet Town. There wasn't a thing that the two of us wouldn't turn into a competition. I guess I can say that he's been my rival since I was a baby."

Brenda nods. "But if that's the case, why did you call it all off to become a Pokémon researcher?"

Gary shrugs. "I guess you can just say I found my calling." He suddenly gasps and leaps to push Brenda to the side. Where Brenda was just standing, an electric cannon is fired. Gary and Brenda look up to see another robot floating in front of them.

Brenda gasps, "What is that!?"

Gary answers, "It's a security drone. They must use them to make sure no intruders come down here. They're industrial grade and very hard to inflict any damage to."

The drone warns, "You are trespassing in a restricted area. Leave immediately or be destroyed." Despite this warning, it's already warming up its cannon for another attack.

Brenda asks, "What do we do?"

"Run!" Gary and Brenda turn around and run. The security drone attacks, only just missing them. It then pursues them. Gary throws a Pokéball. "Go, Umbreon!" His Umbreon appears. "Use Dark Pulse!" Umbreon launches a shockwave of dark energy at the drone, doing very little. A swarm of drones now comes into view and also gives pursuit.

* * *

Ash and the others are still being chased as well. Periodically, Ash and his Pokémon stop to give covering fire, but the drones aren't deterred.

Brock points up ahead. "Look, there's a door! Let's barricade ourselves in!"

Misty and Ash nod in agreement. Ash makes it to the door first. He ushers Brock, Misty, and his Pokémon in, before also going in, slamming the door just as the drones are about to catch up.

They find themselves in some sort of laboratory. Scientific equipment is all around. There are also Pokémon, such as Raticate, kept in cages all around. Misty asks, "What is this place?"

Brock answers, "It must be one of those secret labs Gary was talking about."

Ash points ahead to the front of the room. "Look up there!" Up ahead is a group of scientists hard at work at various scientific instruments.

A scientist looks up from his work and demands, "What do you think you're doing here!?" This alerts all the scientists, who all look up.

Ash steps forward and proclaims, "We're looking for Project Viginti, and we're not leaving until we find it."

An older scientist steps forward. It's the same one who was seen leading Project Viginti earlier, Morimoto. He demands with surprise, "How do you know about Project Viginti!?"

Ash asks with disgust and disbelief, "Do you really not know what's going on above ground!? There are two Mewtwo up there fighting to take Project Viginti!"

This stuns Morimoto. "Mewtwo…has found us…? Impossible."

Ash asserts, "It's possible, and unless you hand it over to him, the entire city is going to be destroyed."

"I am sorry boy, but Project Viginti is my life's work, it's not going anywhere."

Misty and Brock have been looking around the room. Brock calls, "Ash, come look at this!"

Ash runs over to them. They're looking at the strange Pikachu in the tank. It still looks to be in incredible pain. Ash's Pikachu says, "Pi…" sadly upon seeing it.

Misty demands, "This is your life's work!? You're hurting this innocent Pokémon."

Morimoto laughs. "A necessary evil. Besides, I assure you, that is no Pokémon."

Ash takes a closer look at it and suddenly gasps. "I know that Pikachu!" He has a flashback to the last time he met Mewtwo. This Pikachu is the clone of his own Pikachu, Pikachutwo.

Morimoto explains, "That Pikachu is nothing but a clone. It's not even a real Pokémon. The pain it feels is inconsequential."

Brock sneers, "You sicken me. It's still a living being and deserving of as much respect as you or I."

And then Ash adds, "And it's no wonder Mewtwo is after you, this is his friend!"

Morimoto laughs. "You're nothing but ignorant kids. This Pikachu is the key to unlocking the secrets of life itself! Once I have fully duplicated the process that was used to create it, I will be able to make any Pokémon I desire! Forget Mewtwo, I will have created Mewthree!"

Ash and his Pokémon get in a fight stance. Ash shouts, "I can't let you do that!"

"And I'm afraid that I can't let you get in my way." He flips a switch on a nearby control panel, and suddenly several mechanical arms extend out from the roof and grab a hold of Ash and friends. They struggle to break out of the grip, but to no avail.

Misty demands, "Let us out you creep!"

Morimoto shakes his head. "I won't let you get in the way of my research."

Brock shouts, "Can't you see that you're destroying this city!? Mewtwo won't leave until you've stopped this madness!"

The scientist shakes his head. "No, I assure you that Mewtwo won't be a problem for long." He points to tank in the center of the room filled with a strange orange liquid. Suspended in that liquid is a formless mass. "Remember when I mentioned the creation of a Mewthree? I wasn't joking. There it is. In less than an hour's time that biomass will be shaped into the most powerful Pokémon to have ever existed, even more powerful than Mewtwo. It will drive out the Mewtwo invaders you speak of effortlessly."

This revelation shocks Ash, Brock, and Misty. Ash accuses, "Can't you see you're tampering with forces you don't understand!? You'll never be able to control a Pokémon that powerful! You'll only create an enemy worse than Mewtwo!"

"No! I will be Mewthree's master! It will live to serve me!"

That's when someone asks, "Do you really believe that?"

Everyone looks over towards the entrance to see Gary and Brenda. Umbreon is in front of Gary and poised to attack. Ash exclaims, "Gary!"

"Did you miss me, Ashy-boy?" He then looks back to the head scientists, "Mr. Morimoto, do you really think that you could control such a Pokémon? You're not as smart as I thought you were."

Morimoto responds angrily, "Gary Oak, what are you doing here? You don't have the authorization to be down here."

"Yeah, and I say you don't have the authorization to be harming innocent Pokémon, putting this city at risk, and tampering with things you can't begin to fathom, and yet here you are."

Morimoto demands, "Get me a dispatch of security drones!"

Gary chuckles. "Sorry, but I might have found their central control unit and disabled them all." He then looks down to Umbreon. "Umbreon, use Psychic!" Umbreon uses Psychic to break the mechanical arms trapping Ash and the others. They instantly prepare for battle.

As soon as they're free, Ash orders, "Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" Bulbasaur fires off several Leech Seeds and ensnares all of the scientists in the room so that they can't escape or interfere.

Morimoto shouts angrily, "You'll never work here again Gary!"

"Good, because I quit." He looks to Ash and asks, "What's the plan Ash?"

Ash points to Pikachutwo. "We need to get that Pikachu up to the surface and show Mewtwo that it's alright." He looks to the tank where Mewthree is being formed. "We also need to figure out what to do with that." He looks to Charizard and asks, "Can you break the container holding the Pikachu?"

Charizard nods. It stomps towards the tank and uses Dragon Tail to break it open. Pikachutwo tumbles out. Ash grabs it. "Come on guys, let's get back up to the surface and stop those Mewtwo from fighting. Everyone turns to leave the room. Gary is the last to leave and stops just as he's leaving the room.

Morimoto struggles to break free of the vines. "You come back here! Come back here now!"

Without turning to face Morimoto, Gary raises his hand upwards and says, "Smell ya later Morimoto." Then he walks out.

Morimoto screams in frustration.

* * *

And so they get back to the surface. Up above them, the two Mewtwo are still fighting, still destroying the city around them. Wasting no time at all, Ash hops onto Charizard's back and points up towards a building near where they're fighting. "Take me to the top of that building, quickly!" Charizard nods. Pikachu, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle also hop on. They take off.

Charizard brings them right up to the rooftop. Ash dismounts and runs to the edge of the roof, cradling Pikachutwo in his arms. He shouts, "Mewtwo! You need to stop fighting! Look at who I found!"

The Mewtwo pay him no heed this time. They keep on fighting. There fighting ends up moving closer to Ash now, as they hover right over the roof as they exchange attacks.

Ash shouts in frustration, "Mewtwo!" Still no acknowledgement. Ash is angered. He sets Pikachutwo down on the ground and then runs at the Mewtwo. What he doesn't realize is that both have just begun to charge energy for a Psystrike. Ash runs right up in between them to get their attention, and in doing so ends up in the crossfire of their attacks. Both attacks are unleashed before the Mewtwo realize Ash is in the way.

Mewtwo X quickly realizes its mistake and thinks, _Again!?_

Mewtwo Y wonders, _What is he doing!?_

Back on the ground, Misty, Brock, Brenda, and Gary can see this unfolding. They all shout, "Ash!" at once.

Pikachu also watches in horror as the two blasts of energy close in on Ash.

There's a massive explosion. Pikachu cries out, "Pika pi!" Charizard, Bulbasaur, and Squirtle lower their heads in despair. Tears come to eyes of all four Pokémon.

Watching while hiding nearby is Team Rocket. James asks, "Did the Twerp just…bite the dust?"

Mewtwo X shouts, "You foolish boy! To what end!?"

But then the obscuring aftereffects of the explosion clear. Suspended where the two attacks collided is a pink bubble. Floating inside the bubble is Ash. The bubble pops and Ash returns to the ground. He looks around in surprise. "What…happened?"

Then out from behind him flies Mew. It happily flies in a circle around Ash, waves at him, and declares playfully, "Mew mew!"

Jessie asks, "Who's that Pokémon?"

James and Meowth both answer, "It's Mew!"

Mewtwo X and Y both declare, "Mew!?" with shock.

Ash grins at Mew. "Thank you Mew. You saved me." He then looks up to the Mewtwo. "You two have to listen to me! We found Project Viginti! Look!"

Pikachu and the other Pokémon walk up. Charizard is carrying Pikachutwo.

Mewtwo X gasps. "You found him…" He uses his telekinesis to lift Pikachutwo from Charizard's arms and float it over to him. He reverts back from his Mega form to normal Mewtwo.

Mewtwo Y asks, "That Pikachu came from Project Viginti?"

Ash nods. "Project Viginti was trying to use it as a template to create a new Mewtwo…a Mewthree. I imagine that's why you two were fighting over it."

Mewtwo declares, "I was attempting to destroy it, and protect it from the likes of her," pointing to Mewtwo Y.

Mewtwo Y demands, "What do you mean!? I was trying to destroy Project Viginti! It was you who was trying to protect it to use it!"

Mewtwo asserts, "No. I refuse to believe that." Both Mewtwo suddenly take up fighting stances.

But then Mew flies up in between them. It begins to say something. "Mew, mew mew mew. Mew mew, mew mew." It continues on with a speech.

Jessie nudges Meowth. "What's it saying?"

Meowth translates, "It's saying that those two have got to stop fighting. It says they never had a real reason to fight in the first place. They created their reason so that they would have an excuse. It claims that in the end, a Mewtwo fighting a Mewtwo is only a reflection of a Mewtwo wanting to fight itself. Both of them are angry at themselves for being created in the first place, and that anger was made worse by the thought of yet another being made. They took their anger at themselves out at each other. He says, in the end three of them not only share their DNA, but also the Earth, living under the same Sun and Moon…" In an aside, he comments, "Hey, don't you think those would make some great game titles?" Continuing the translation, he says, "As long as that is all the case, there's no reason to fight each other. No reason to hate themselves." He then adds his own commentary, "Wow, that's deep."

Mew finishes its speech. Both Mewtwo are silent. The original Mewtwo breaks the silence by saying, "You are right Mew. We had no reason to fight."

Mewtwo Y agrees, "The smallest amount of actual talk would have cleared this problem from the beginning."

Mew grins and does an aerial summersault. "Mew!"

Mewtwo looks to Ash. "And this is what you were trying to tell us all along. That we shouldn't have been fighting."

Ash nods.

"I commend the bravery of you and your Pokémon. You put yourself at risk to stand up to me and save this city."

Mewtwo Y adds, "You are certainly one of a kind. I noticed that before, and I see it again now."

Mewtwo then looks to Mewtwo Y. "We may both think of ourselves as abominations, but we are the same, whether we like it or not."

Mewtwo Y nods. "I agree."

Mewtwo then looks back to Ash. "Take us to the location of Project Viginti. We must ensure that the project is entirely destroyed."

Ash nods. "I'll lead you there."

* * *

So he, along with Brock, Brenda, Misty, and Gary, show the Mewtwo and Mew down to the underground lab. They all gasp as soon as they enter the room. All of the scientists and equipment are gone. Brenda asks, "How did they escape? They were all tied up good."

Brock says, "We must have given them too much time."

Mewtwo says with some anger, "So not only have they escaped, but they escaped with a template for Mewthree. I must hunt them down again now."

Gary steps forward. "Actually, I don't think you'll have to worry. They were using your Pikachu as a step-by-step reference guide when building the clone's genes. Without a reference, there's no way they'll ever complete the project. And the clone base will only survive for a few hours without new inputs. I don't think you have to worry about a thing."

Both Mewtwo nod.

* * *

Back above ground, Mewtwo has lifted the barrier around the city. Pikachutwo is healthy again and standing at Mewtwo's side. Mewtwo declares, "It is time for me to leave."

Mewtwo Y says, "I cannot not stay here any longer as well."

Ash steps up to the Mewtwo and asks, "Will I ever see you again?"

Mewtwo looks down to Ash and answers, "This is three times I have met you. Destiny seems to have weaved the two of us together. I am certain I will see you again."

Mewtwo Y says, "As am I."

Mew then cheers, "Mew mew mew!"

The three then fly off into the sky, disappearing into the distance. Piakchutwo is lifted by Mewtwo as well. The group waves goodbye. Ash shouts, "Goodbye Mewtwo! Goodbye Mew!" He suddenly stops and thinks for a moment. "Wait a second…I've only met that Mewtwo twice…not three times…"

Misty says, "I guess that there are some things you'll just never know about."

Slowly the scene begins to zoom out, showing the entire city. _And Ash will probably never remember his first encounter with Mewtwo, but this isn't a time to dwell on what we've forgotten. Instead, embrace your memories. Look to the past and celebrate it, for there is nothing more valuable. But also do not forget the future. Twenty years may have past, but we have many more ahead of us. The Sun may set, but the Moon also rises. And don't forget…train on!_

The scene has zoomed out so much that the entire Earth and outer space can now be seen. Mewtwo flies across the view and then a glowing blue Mew comes straight forward from the Earth.

**To Be Continued…**

* * *

**20 years...it's hard to believe. I was born in 1996, the same year as Pokémon first came out, so you could say we share a birthday. I cannot imagine my life without ****Pokémon because literally my life has never been without ****Pokémon. I grew up watching the show, and right from the beginning I always knew there was something special about ****Pokémon, something appealing to me that no other cartoon had. It was during these early years of watching the show that I designed my first ever custom ****Pokémon, beginning a process which would culminate in this story. When I was 11 I got my first handhold system, and with it my first ****Pokémon game, Pearl Version. Ever since then I have become a bigger and bigger fan. It's only in recent years that I have realized why I love the series so much. It's the world. The World of ****Pokémon is an amazing place, a place that even as an adult I long to be in. By watching the show, playing the games, and writing this story I do all that I can to enter into this wonderful place known as the World of ****Pokémon. Never stop catching 'em all and train on!**

**What's your ****Pokémon story? Help me in celebrating the 20th Anniversary by sharing it in a review of this episode.**


	50. Episode 50: Splashing In

Episode 50: Splashing In

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty are walking up a hill. Misty is saying, "You guys will love it there. They have absolutely everything, and I mean everything, you could want from a resort." She suddenly squeals, "Look, there it is!" Misty runs to the top of the hill. The others join her. From the top of the hill they are treated with a view of the valley below. Sprawled across the valley is what can only be described as a massive luxury resort. They all stop and admire the sight.

_At last our heroes have reached Misty's destination of the Rest Stop Resort, site of a tournament that promises to be a gathering of the greatest Water-Type trainers from around the world. How will our favorite Water-Type trainer match up? Let's find out._

They all arrive at the resort and enter into it. Misty leads them right up to the front desk. A receptionist greets them, "Good afternoon. Welcome to the Rest Stop Resort, where rest is in the name, and relaxation is our game. How may I help you?"

Misty answers, "Hi, I'm here for the Splash Cup."

The receptionist smiles and nods. "Yes, I have you right here on my list. The tournament's benefactor has reserved rooms for all invited contestants as well as paid for them and a full service stay while you are here."

Brenda marvels, "Wow, that has to cost a small fortune to pay for just one person, but everyone in tournament must make this benefactor very rich."

Ash asks, "Wait, you may have a room provided, but where are we going to stay? I can't afford this place."

The receptionist grins. "No need to worry, each contestant is also allowed one additional room for guests. Each room is large enough to house more than one person, so your group could easily fit into the two rooms."

Brock states, "Wow, even more generous."

The receptionist then asks, "Now, if you could just tell me your name, and then I'll sign you up."

Misty responds, "Right, my name is Misty, I'm the Cerulean City Gym Leader."

The receptionist types away at her computer. After a moment she looks up and says, "Alright Madam Misty, we have you now registered as checked-in. Please enjoy your stay."

Misty grins. "I'm sure I will."

Someone behind them all asks, "Did I just hear that Misty, the Cerulean City Gym Leader is here?"

Misty turns around and answers, "Yeah, that's me…" She trails off and freezes as she sees who's standing there.

It's a tall man with handsome features. He has somewhat long dark-blue hair that curls up somewhat at the end, giving it a resemblance to ocean waves. He wears an ocean blue suit. He grins. "Misty, I'm so glad to finally meet you. I've heard wonderful things about you."

Misty blushes and stammers nervously, "You…you've h…heard of m…me?"

The man smiles. "Of course I've heard of you! I make it my business to know about the up and coming Water-Type trainers. And you, my dear, are among the greatest. One day the Cerulean Gym was a complete laughingstock with its previous three gym leaders, but then you came in and turned around the gym's reputation like it was nothing. That takes a truly expert Water-Type trainer. I have my eyes on you, and I look forward to seeing how you do in my tournament. Until we meet again Misty." He waves and turns to leave.

Misty is still blushing, and still too frozen up to say anything.

Brenda asks, "Who was that guy?"

The receptionist answers, "That was Tyde, he's the benefactor I was speaking of."

Brock thinks for a second. "Tyde…I think I've heard that name before…" Then he thinks of it. "I remember! He's one of the Tenno Elite Four!"

Ash gasps. "Elite Four!"

Brock nods. "That's right. He's an Elite Four member who specializes in Water-Types. He's also the richest man in Tenno and is known for the philanthropic work he does, especially his donations to the fields of science and technology."

Ash comments, "And he knows who you are, Misty. That's pretty cool." Misty doesn't respond. Ash waves hand in front of her face. "Hello? Earth to Misty, come in Misty." She doesn't respond. "What's up with her?"

Brock chuckles. "Oh, I know exactly what's up with her. You wouldn't understand though."

"What, is she sick?"

Brenda and Brock both look to each other and chuckle at Ash's ignorance.

* * *

And so the four of them go out to take advantage of the luxury service offered by the resort. Brenda and Misty enjoy a manicure. Brock finds his way to the poolside, full of pretty girls. He goes mad running from one to the next, presumably declaring his love to each one. He is shut down by Meteorfight. Ash and Pikachu find their way to the all-you-can-eat buffet and chow down. They all continue to participate in various resort activities for the rest of the day.

* * *

Team Rocket is hiding on the roof of one of the resort's buildings. They are spying on the group as they all play around in the pool. Jessie says with anger and annoyance, "No fair, it's me who deserves a relaxing day at a resort, not those twerpish twerps."

James comments, "One must wonder how those twerps came across the money to stay here. This place must cost a fortune."

Meowth pulls out some sort of flyer and explains, "Dig this, apparently there's some sort of super-exclusive Water-Type tournament being held here."

Jessie snatches up the flyer advertising the tournament and skims over it. "So Twerpette Classic must have been invited here for that tournament." She stomps her feet in rage. "I work my entire life to achieve luxury and she just gets it handed to her! The nerve!"

Meowth then says, "But get this, this could be the opportunity for us to achieve such luxury ourselves."

This piques Jessie's interest. "I'm listening."

Meowth goes into fantasy mode. "Imagine The Boss, he's in his big old Team Rocket executive swimming pool." Fantasy Giovanni is seen swimming laps in a massive pool.

James questions, "Does The Boss even have a pool?"

Meowth asserts, "Of course he does! Do you know a rich and powerful person who doesn't own a pool? I thought so. Anyways, so The Boss is swimming around in his pool, but suddenly he realizes how lonesome it is swimming in this giant pool all by himself." In an imitation of Giovanni's voice, Meowth says, "It's great to own this pool and be able swim at my leisure, but this pool is far too big for just one Boss." Back in his normal voice, Meowth continues, "So that's where we come in. We bring The Boss all the Water Pokémon we can get our hands on and put them right in his pool." Fantasy Jessie, James, and Meowth do as he explained and drop various Water Pokémon into the pool. Fantasy Giovanni begins to swim around with them happily. "Finally having swimming buddies, The Boss will be so happy that he'll say," speaking for Giovanni again, "Thanks to Meowth and friends, I'm swimming with the fishes, and I don't mean that in a bad way. It only seems proper that in return I allow them to swim in cash."

Jessie exclaims excitedly, "It's an instant get-rich plan!"

James exclaims, "Just add water!" They all cheer.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**When this Pokémon sleeps, it pulls its limbs into its body and its internal fire goes down to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit**

* * *

The next day has come, and the Splash Cup has begun. In the center of the resort there is a large stadium. It's full of spectators waiting to watch the Water-Type battles to be held. Ash, Brock, and Brenda have front-row seats. In the center of the arena is a massive tank of water with clear walls. There are also platforms on either side of the top of the tank. Standing on a pontoon floating in the center of the water is Tyde. He announces, "Welcome one and all to the Splash Cup! Water-Type Pokémon are my passion, and it brings me so much pleasure to be able host this event and share that passion with all of you! Now, without further ado, I would like to introduce our first contestants! On the right side, we have the self-proclaimed Water-Type master of the Hoenn Region! It's Marshall of Pacifidlog Town!" An arrogant looking boy rises up on an elevator to his platform. The audience cheers. "And on the other side we have the Cerulean Gym Leader herself! It's Misty!" Misty ascends to the opposite platform. She looks ready and determined to win. "Without further ado, let's get this tournament moving!"

He leaps off of his platform. Just as he's about to land in the water, a Gyarados appears from one his Pokéballs and catches him. He then stands on its head as it raises him up to a platform on the side of the arena. He hops off of Gyarados and returns it to its ball.

Attention is then shifted to Misty and her opponent Marshall. Marshall throws a Pokéball and shouts, "Go, Clawitzer!" The shrimp Pokémon lands in the water in front of him.

Misty pulls out a Pokéball of her own. "Let's do this, Politoed!"

Her Politoed appears in front of her and happily claps its hands together. "Politoed, politoed, politoed!"

Marshall takes the first move and orders, "Clawitzer, use Water Pulse!" From its pincer cannon Clawitzer fires an orb of water at Politoed with high power.

Misty orders, "Politoed, get underwater!" Politoed dives down beneath the surface to avoid the attack.

"You get down there too Clawitzer, and use Dark Pulse!" Clawitzer dives down to the same level as Politoed and quickly unleashes an attack of dark energy waves from its cannon.

"Use Hydro Pump Politoed!" Politoed attacks with a blast of water from its mouth. The two attacks collide and cancel each other. "Great, now get in there for a Double Slap!" Politoed swims right at Clawitzer at high speeds.

"Fight back with Crab Hammer Clawitzer!" Just as Politoed is about to slap Clawitzer with glowing palms, Clawitzer's cannon-pincer glows blue and it uses it to smack the hand away.

Misty asserts, "Keep them coming Politoed!" Politoed continues to attempt to slap one after the other, but Clawitzer manages to counter each and every one. The two continue to go at it until Misty sees that this is going nowhere and gets an idea. She orders, "Politoed, use Hyper Voice!"

Politoed retreats back a little and then shouts, "Poli!" which causes shockwaves of sound to reverberate through the tank of water. This stuns and disorientates Clawitzer. It begins to tumble helplessly through the water.

Misty continues, "Great, now onto the center platform and use Bounce!" Politoed swims straight up and out of the water. Once on the land it leaps way up into the air. "Now dive back down and go in for a finishing Double Slap!" Politoed positions itself for a dive and aims itself right at Clawitzer, which is still stunned by the Hyper Voice. Politoed enters the water with a splash and attacks with a velocity-induced Double Slap.

Clawitzer floats up to surface. It has been knocked-out. Marshall despairs, "Clawitzer!"

The crowd cheers. Ash, Brock, and Brenda all get to their feet and clap. Brenda marvels, "Wow, Misty really is good with Water-Types!"

Ash says, "She's been training with them all her life, she'd better be good."

Politoed has climbed back up onto the center platform and is clapping happily along with the audience.

Watching from above, Tyde grins to himself.

* * *

**It's Darumaka!**

* * *

And so the tournament continues, and Misty continues to win. In her second match she uses her Gyarados to defeat a Swampert. The third match involves her Psyduck, after acquiring a headache, defeating a Jellicent. For the fourth match she has Corsola defeat a Mantine. The fifth is her Gyarados again, this time taking down a Milotic. This brings her to the finals.

Tyde announces from his viewing box, "Sixty-four of the world's greatest Water-Type trainers have done battle today, and now only two remain! It's time to find out who the winner of the Splash Cup will be! Let the battle begin!"

Misty has her Corsola out in front of her and her opponent has a Sharpedo. Misty starts off the battle by ordering, "Corsola, use Spike Cannon!" Corsola sends a volley of spikes arching through the sky towards Sharpedo.

"Out of the way with Aqua Jet!" Sharpedo becomes cloaked in water and speeds out of the way of the attack. It then rams into Corsola. "Now use Ice Fang!" Sharpedo bites down on the stunned Corsola with glowing white teeth. Corsola is frozen immediately upon contact and begins to sink down.

Misty shouts, "Corsola, you've got to break free of the ice!" Corsola struggles, but it does little.

Misty's opponent grins confidently. "Night Slash now!" Sharpedo dives down into the water and its dorsal fin begins to glow. In rapid succession it swims past Corsola, hitting it with its dorsal fin each time. One final Night Slash shatters the ice, but Corsola is too weak to move. "Great job Sharpedo, let's finish this off with a final Night Slash."

Brenda gasps, "This is it for Misty! Corsola's too weak to dodge!"

Ash asserts, "I wouldn't count Misty and Corsola out yet."

Just as Ash says this, Misty proves it. She orders, "Corsola, use Recover!" Corsola begins to glow with a silver light. The light fades and Corsola looks completely healthy. "Great, now use Spike Cannon!" Corsola unleashes a barrage of spikes at the incoming Sharpedo. It's too late for Sharpedo to change its course, so it takes the full brunt of the attack. By the time Corsola's attack stops, Sharpedo is still moving forward, but only because it is being carried by momentum. It has been knocked out.

Ash leaps up and cheers, "Way to go Misty!" Brock and Brenda also get up to clap, along with everyone else.

Misty is elated. She jumps up and cheers, "Great job, Corsola!"

Corsola leaps into her arms and declares, "Corso!"

Tyde begins to say, "And there you have it, Misty is-!" but he stops when he realizes that the crowd has gone silent. Everyone is pointing up towards the sky and murmuring in curiosity. What seems to be a giant Wailord blimp is flying in. Emblazoned on its bottom is a large, red R.

Ash steps forward angrily. "Team Rocket!"

From the blimp several mechanical arms emerge and grab a hold of both Corsola and Sharpedo. Also, at the base of the tank many of the competitors and their Water Pokémon were watching. The mechanical arms scoop up those Pokémon too. Everyone gasps and shouts with anger.

Jessie appears on the top of the blimp. She declares, "Prepare to get all wet!"

James also appears, "Make it a double bet!"

"To protect the world from overflowing!"

"To unite all people against bubble blowing!"

"To denounce the evils of ocean and sea!"

"To extend our reach swimmingly!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket splashes down at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to sink from sight!"

Meowth leaps up too. "Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have made their way down to the center of the arena. Pikachu is ready for battle. Ash shouts, "You're going to give those Pokémon back, Team Rocket!"

Misty looks down to Ash and asserts, "No Ash! Leave this to the Water Pokémon trainers!"

"Are you sure?"

She nods. "Positive." She turns back to face Team Rocket. "You're going to regret angering a stadium full of Water Trainers, Team Rocket!" She throws a Pokéball and releases Gyarados. "Use Hydro Pump!" Gyarados unleashes a blast of water.

Other competitors of the Splash Cup send out their other Water Pokémon and add their water attacks to Misty's. However, all of these attacks seem to flash evaporate before they make contact with the blimp.

Meowth chuckles. "Since I knew we'd be going up against an army of Water-Types, I took the necessary precautions. This entire blimp has a special heat field around it that will instantly evaporate any water that comes near it."

James declares, "We're too hot to handle!"

Jessie adds, "We're on fire!"

But then Tyde can be heard shouting, "Go, Dashilisk!" Tyde throws a Pokéball and sends out a Dashilisk. Unlike Ash's, his Dashilisk does not have a crest on the top of its head. He commands, "Use Ice Beam!" The Dashilisk unleashes a beam of cold that instantly freezes over the surface of the Wailord blimp.

Jessie, James, and Meowth all look to each other slowly. James asks, "What happens if the heat is taken out of our heat shield?"

Meowth shrugs and suggests nervously, "Then it becomes a lukewarm shield?"

All of the Water trainers take this opportunity to attack again. This time their attacks make contact. The blimp pops and explodes. All of the captured Pokémon are fall right into the tank safely and Team Rocket is sent flying into the air.

As they're flying up, all of them completely soaked, Meowth shouts, "I hate water!"

James sighs, "I guess you could say that we're all washed up."

Jessie adds, "We're all wet too."

They all shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Back on the ground, everyone is reuniting with their Pokémon. Misty looks around happily, pleased that she helped to save everyone. She looks over to her side to see that Tyde has taken the lift up to her platform and is walking over to her holding a magnificent trophy.

He declares, "Misty, without any further delay or interruptions, it is my honor to bestow upon you the Splash Cup!" He hands it to her and Misty takes it.

She blushes. "Th…thank you so much."

"But that's not all. Misty, would you honor me having a battle with me?" Everyone gasps.

With jealousy and surprise, Ash asks, "What!? Misty gets to battle an Elite Four member!?"

Misty is taken aback by the request. After gathering her thoughts, she nods. "Of course I'll battle you."

* * *

Both Misty and Tyde have taken positions on the water battlefield. Tyde declares, "Alright Misty, I want to see everything you've got, so this will be a three-on-three match, alright?"

Misty nods. "Fine with me."

Tyde grins. "Good. In that case," he throws a Pokéball, "go, Starmie!" A Starmie appears in front of him.

Misty nods and pulls out a Pokéball too. "Come on out, Marlance!" Misty sends out a blue silver-colored fish Pokémon with a long, spear-like snout with a pointed end. Its scales shine like metal. Running along its back is a large sail-like fin with spikey protrusion.

Ash comments, "That's a new Pokémon," and pulls out his Pokédex.

"Marlance, the Swordfish Pokémon and a Water and Steel Combo-Type. The pointed spear of Marlance is made of a strong and resilient metal, allowing it be used both as a jabbing and slashing weapon. Marlance will engage in swordfights to determine their social standing. Evolves from Pufflail at level 27 and into Saws at level 48."

Tyde nods. "Now for our battle to get under way. Starmie, use Swift!" Starmie attacks with a barrage of stars."

Misty orders, "Dive down underwater!" Marlance dives straight down to avoid the attack, but the stars curve and change their trajectory, flying straight down to follow Marlance. They quickly hit it.

Brenda asks, "What just happened?"

Brock explains, "The attack Swift can never miss. The attack locked on to its target and kept on following it."

Tyde then orders, "Underwater as well, Starmie, and use Power Gem!" Starmie dives to the same level as Marlance and attacks with a beam of light from its crystal core.

Misty quickly orders, "Dodge it!" With a great burst of speed, Marlance swims out of the way of the attack. "Now use Iron Head!" It turns its speed into a head on charge at Starmie, its spear glowing silver.

Tyde calmly counters, "Use Protect." Starmie erects a shield around it and stops the attack dead. "Now use Laser Vision!" As soon as the barrier drops, Starmie unleashes an intense and highly focused beam of red light from its crystal. The beam is so hot that it flash-evaporates the water around it. The beam hits Marlance and knocks it back. Marlance faints.

Misty silently returns Marlance to its Pokéball. She says to it, "You did a good job."

Tyde recalls Starmie. "You tried to use your Marlance's superior speed and maneuverability against me, a good strategy. I'm sorry it didn't work." He throws another Pokéball. "Go, Krakannon!"

Misty throws a Pokéball too. "You can do this, Gyarados!" She immediately commands, "Use Hyper Beam, Gyarados!"

Tyde orders, "Counter with your own Hyper Beam!" Both Pokémon unleash their Hyper Beams, but Krakannon's is much larger and more powerful. It quickly overpowers Gyarados' and makes contact on Gyarados.

Brenda asks, "How is it possible that Krakannon's attack could be so much stronger than Gyarados'?"

Brock answers, "It's Krakannon's ability. It's called Heavy Artillery. Pokémon with that ability have the power of all their beam-based attacks increased greatly."

Gyarados is badly damaged, but still standing. Misty orders, "Get below it and use Aqua Tail!" Gyarados dives into the water and swims up to Krakannon. It prepares to knock it out of the water with its tail.

Tyde orders, "Put a stop to it with Ice Beam!" Krakannon leaps up out of the water and attacks with a powered up Ice Beam. The water around Gyarados freezes up, trapping Gyarados. "Great, now finish it with Solar Beam!" After gathering solar energy, Krakannon unleashes a massive beam of light at Gyarados. When the light subsides, Gyarados has been defeated.

Misty reluctantly recalls Gyarados. Tyde also recalls Krakannon. Tyde comments, "It's time for our final matchup. Go, Delphin!" He tosses another Pokéball, and out comes a dolphin-like Pokémon. It is colored dark purple on its top and purple-pink on its bottom and sides. The top of its head features a prominent bulge.

Ash pulls back out his Pokédex. "Delphin, the Hyper-Intelligent Pokémon and a Water and Psychic Combo-Type. Delphin is one of the most intelligent species of Pokémon known. While it actually breathes air, it must live in the water so that it can use it as a constant coolant for its hyperactive brain, which would otherwise overheat. It expels the heated water through the blowhole on its back. Does not Evolve."

Misty pulls out her last Pokéball. She looks to it and says, "Alright, I've saved you for last, let's see if you can pull through." She throws it. "Go!" Out of it emerges a Kingdra.

Brock exclaims, "Wow, Misty must have Evolved her Horsea into a Seadra, and then into a Kingdra!"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex this time. "Kingdra, the Dragon Pokémon and a Water and Dragon Combo-Type. According to the tales of sailors, Kingdra can be found as the cause of any whirlpool, sitting in its center. Evolves from Seadra with the use of a Dragon Scale."

Misty wastes no time. "Kingdra, use Dragon Pulse!" Kingdra unleashes an intense pulse of purple energy in the shape of a dragon from its mouth.

"Delphin, catch it with Telekinesis!" The attack is halted in midair by Delphin's psychic powers. "Now turn it around!" Delphin sends the attack back at Kingdra.

Misty acts fast and orders, "Out of the way, Kingdra!" With a burst of speed, Kingdra dodges to the side and the attack misses. "Underwater, now!" Kingdra dives.

"You go underwater as well, Delphin!" Delphin dives too. "Use Zen Headbutt!"

Misty orders, "Use Outrage!" Delphin's head begins to glow purple and Kingdra's body glows red. The Pokémon charge at each other and bounce back after impacting.

Both trainers order, "Keep it up!" Both Pokémon continue to ram into each other from various angles, both being knocked back each time. They continue to batter each other like that for several moments.

Then Tyde orders, "Use Water Spout!"

Misty orders, "Use Hydro Pump!" Both Pokémon unleash a massive blast of water, Delphin from its blowhole and Kingdra from its mouth. Instead of colliding, the two attacks fly past each other and hit the other. Both Pokémon are slammed into opposite walls of the tank.

Both Misty and Tyde watch with anticipation to see the results. A few tense moments later both Pokémon break the surface. Delphin pops its head up, and Kingdra floats up, knocked out. Misty silently recalls Kingdra and hangs her head in shame.

Tyde also recalls his Pokémon. "Do not despair Misty, there is no shame in losing, especially after fighting as hard as you did. You truly are a great Water-Type trainer. Regardless of what just happened you are still the winner of the Splash Cup. Do not forget that."

* * *

Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Misty have gathered back at the Rest Stop's front desk. Misty is on a video phone. On the other side is her sister Daisy. Daisy is pleading, "Like, please Misty, we so need you back here. I don't know how we ever ran things without you. Everything's, like, totally falling apart."

Misty sighs. "Alright…fine. I'll be back as soon as I can. Just don't let anything get any worse."

Daisy nods. "We'll try." She hangs up. Misty walks over to Ash and the others. "Well, I guess things are going pretty poorly back at the gym. Those three just don't know the first thing about running a gym. It's a joke, really."

Ash says, "That's too bad. I guess this is where we part ways again."

Misty nods. "I guess it is."

Someone behind them asks, "Back to your gym then?"

Misty turns around in surprise to see Tyde walking towards her. She blushes upon seeing him. "Um…yeah…"

He steps up to her. "Misty, remember how I told you earlier that I saw great potential in you?" Misty nods. "Well, watching you battle in the Splash Cup and battling against you myself has only served to confirm that I was right. Tell me Misty, what is your goal in life?"

Misty answers, "That's an easy one. I want to be the world's greatest Water-Type Master."

Tyde nods. "And I have no doubt that you have everything you need to make that dream come true. And I want to help."

Misty is stunned. "Help…?"

"As a philanthropist, I use the wealth I have amassed to help others. I want to be able to do the same with my skill as a Water-Type trainer. Part of the purpose of hosting the Splash Cup was because I wanted to find a suitable student to teach. Misty, if you would allow it, I would like to travel back to Cerulean with you and then help you train. With hard work and dedication I think you could surpass even my skill level."

Misty is speechless.

Ash says, "Wow Misty, that's so cool!"

Brock comments, "You'd be learning from the best."

Brenda adds, "Congratulations."

Tyde asks, "So, are you okay with that?"

Misty shakes her head with disbelief. She finally manages to say. "Yes…that would be amazing…"

Tyde extends a hand. "Then it's a deal. I'll make a Water-Type Master out of you for sure."

_Misty's journey with Ash may once again be at its end, but there is now something new for her in the future. And as for Ash, his journey towards Versal City and his fourth Tenno gym badge is back in full swing, so the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	51. Episode 51: Imperfect Makes Practice

Episode 51: Imperfect Makes Practice!

Brenda is walking along a path. She holds Kappaqua in her arms. Ash and Brock are behind them by a bit.

_With Misty's Splash Cup complete, our heroes parted ways. That leaves the rest of our heroes heading towards Ash's next gym battle at Versal City._

Brenda and Kappaqua pass by a bulletin board. As they do, Kappaqua points to something excitedly. "Kappa appa!"

Brenda asks, "What is it Kappaqua?" She turns to look at the board. Placed prominently on the board's center is a flyer showing several Pokémon and a large ribbon. Brenda sighs. "Oh…a Pokémon Contest is being held nearby today…"

Kappaqua happily encourages, "Kappapapqua!" and points to Brenda.

Brenda shakes her head. "No Kappaqua, I've already told you. After the fiasco at Starside City, I'm done with Pokémon Contests."

Kappaqua lowers its head in sadness. "Kappa…"

Brenda says, "Trust me, it's for the better." She looks back to see Ash and Brock approaching her from behind. She quickly grabs the flyer, rips it down, and crumples it up.

Ash asks, "What was that Brenda?"

Brenda puts on a fake smile and lies, "Oh, it was nothing. Just an outdated advertisement. I thought I would do them a favor and take it down."

Ash nods. "Alright then, good for you."

Brock urges, "Come on guys, there's a picnic spot up ahead, let's keep on moving so I can make lunch."

Ash cheers, "Sounds great, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast!" Ash and Brock walk on past Brenda.

Brenda sighs on removes the fake smile from her face. She looks down to the crumpled wad of paper in her hand and sighs again. She then tosses the paper away and continues to walk. Kappaqua looks up at her with worry.

Behind some bushes nearby, Meowth is the middle of explaining a plan to Jessie and James. "You see, once we've convinced them that we're actually aliens, we tell them that the only way we can save our planet is with the electricity of a Pikachu. The Twerp is such a hero that he'll hand over Pikachu in a heartbeat."

James nods. "I like the plan…but one question, how do we get a fully functioning flying saucer?"

Meowth grins. "Leave the details to Meowth."

Jessie is about to say something when the wad of paper Brenda threw flies into her face. "Who dares throw trash in my beautiful face!? Litterbugs are the lowest of the low." Out of curiosity, she uncrumples the paper. Suddenly she gets excited. "Jackpot!"

James asks, "What, what is it Jessie?"

"According to this there's a Pokémon Contest being held today, very nearby too! This is my chance to win my second ribbon!"

Meowth questions, "But what about my plan?"

Jessie snaps, "Your convoluted scheme will need to wait for another day, for the stage beckons to me today!"

Wobbuffet appears to declare, "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie says grumpily, "Don't you dare ruin this moment." She recalls it to its Pokéball.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have arrived at the picnic area Brock spoke of. They've already let all of their Pokémon out to play. The Pokémon all run around and play various games. Brock is cooking in a large pot over a campfire. Ash sits near him, eyeing the food.

Brenda steps towards the two and says, "Hey guys, I'm going to go out for a little walk, okay?"

Brock nods. "That's fine, but the food will be ready soon, so don't be gone too long."

Ash jokes, "I _will_ eat your food."

Brenda forces a smile and a laugh. "Of course…I'll be back before long." She then turns around and walks towards a forested area nearby.

As she walks off, Kappaqua notices. It runs over to Glitterfly, Rabbolt, and Frostcicle and says, "Kapp kappa kap!" with concern. The other three Pokémon all nod in agreement and the four of them follow Brenda into the woods.

Ash comments to Brock, "Hey Brock, have you noticed that Brenda's been spending more and more time on her own lately?"

Brock nods. "Yeah, I have. She hasn't been the same since her loss at Starside. She tries to put on a smile and hide, but I can tell that something's bothering her."

"That's too bad. Do you think we should do something about it?"

"I don't know. I think that for now it might be best to let her handle things herself. She needs to get things sorted out. If she wants our help, she'll ask."

Ash nods in agreement. "Alright."

* * *

Brenda is sitting alone on a tree stump in the woods. She stares off aimlessly into the sky. She appears to be deep in thought. She lets out another sigh. Then she freezes up when she hears bushes rustling. She looks towards the source and asks, "Who's there?"

Out from the bushes comes her four Pokémon.

"Oh, it's you guys…what are you doing here? You should be back playing with the others."

Frostcicle floats up to Brenda and cheers, "Frost frost!" It then uses a small-scale Icy Wind attack to make a form of ice in front of it. The piece of ice lands in Brenda's lap. She picks it up. It's a flower. "Frost?"

Brenda grins slightly, "It beautiful Frostcicle, thank you." Kappaqua, Glitterfly, and Rabbolt also approach Brenda. Brenda sighs. "You four really don't need to worry about me. I'm telling you that I'm fine."

The Pokémon all remain silent. Kappaqua then steps right up to Brenda's feet and looks up at her. Brenda looks back. The two just stare at each other for a few moments. Then Kappaqua finally says in a release of emotion, "Kappa appa appaqua! Kappapapaqua!"

Brenda frowns. "No, I told you. I'm through with contests. I was fooling myself to think that someone like me could just become a coordinator just because I said I wanted to. I don't have what it takes. The Starside Contest proved that. She pulls out something from her bag. It's her ribbon case. She opens it up and looks at her ribbon. "I don't even deserve this ribbon. It was a fluke that I even won it!" With a sudden fit of rage she rips the ribbon out of the case and throws it out of sight. "There, an empty ribbon case. That's what I deserve."

Kappaqua is slightly angered now. "Kappa kap! Kappapapaqua!"

Brenda is suddenly overtaken by anger. She gets up, stomps her foot down, and shouts, "No! How many times do I have to tell you!? I am not going to try again! I'm done! If you can't understand that then maybe you should go and find yourself a new trainer!"

All of her Pokémon recoil from her, Kappaqua more than the others. Tears begin to well up in Kappaqua's eyes.

Brenda instantly realizes the mistake she made. "Kappaqua…I'm sorry…I didn't mean…"

Kappaqua turn around and runs crying out of sight. "Kap pa pa pa pa qua!"

The other Pokémon look up to Brenda with a mixture of shame, pity, and agitation. Brenda is frozen in place. "Kappaqua…?" She looks down to her remaining Pokémon. "You know I didn't mean that…right…?"

Her Pokémon all look down in shame and don't respond.

* * *

Brenda steps towards Ash and Brock. Brock is still cooking and Ash is leaning forward on table looking weak and inpatient. She says with reserve, "Um…guys, I have to go and do something. There's…something I need to find. I might not be back for a while."

Brock responds, "That's fine, my special soup is taking longer to cook than I expected anyways."

Ash complains, "Come on Brock, I'm starving."

Brock looks to Ash and scolds, "You can't rush perfection, and this soup will be perfection." He takes a sample. "Hmm…needs more salt." He reaches for his ingredients.

Ash groans. His stomach joins in by rumbling.

Brenda then sneaks back into the woods.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon came from the future by crossing over time. It is thought that so long as it appears, a bright and shining future awaits us.**

* * *

A contest is in progress. Gillian announces, "Next up in our appeal round is the one and only Princess Jessileia!"

Jessie, dressed in her star princess costume, runs out onto the stage. She promptly declares, "I dedicate this performance to all my adoring fans!" She proceeds to toss a Pokéball and out of it first comes what seems to be a mass amount of bouncy balls which fly in all different directions, bouncing off of whatever they impact. From this mass of balls, Buzzsaw appears. Jessie runs out onto the center of the performance area and orders, "Alright Buzzsaw darling, use your X-Scissor!"

"Buzz zzz zzzz zzzz zzz!" Buzzsaw flies into the air and then lands on top of Jessie's hair. It then begins to use its mandibles to slash at any of the bouncy balls that come near it. This causes the balls to be deflected away at high speed and continue to bounce off of one another even faster.

"Great, now use Bug Buzz!" Buzzsaw activates its chainsaw mandibles and releases an intense buzzing noise. The shockwaves from this noise hit each and every one of the bouncing balls, casuing them to freeze in place. "And now the finale! Use Flash Cannon!" Jessie spins around on her toes like a ballerina as Buzzsaw fires a burst of light from its mouth, Jessie's spinning causing the beam to sweep across the stage. As this burst of light hits the bouncy balls they explode in a burst of color and sparkles. Soon the entire stage is filled with such sparkles. Jessie takes a bow and the audience applauds.

* * *

**It's Celebi!**

* * *

Brenda, Glitterfly, Rabbolt, and Frostcicle are moving through the woods. Brenda calls out, "Kappaqua! Where are you!?"

"Glitterererfly!?"

"Rab rabbolt!?"

"Frost frost!"

Brenda stops and sighs. She hangs her head in shame. "Why did I have to lose control like that? That was an awful thing for me to say... Please come back Kappaqua…please."

* * *

Kappaqua, no longer crying but looking like it only just stopped, exits the woods. It looks around to find itself on some sort of farmland. It sniffles and then looks around. Someone shouts, "Alright Bellossom, use Petal Dance!"

Kappaqua quickly runs towards the source of the voice. It finds a young man dressed in a blue button-up shirt and his Bellossom. The Bellossom is dancing around with petals flying around it. The young man encourages, "Great job Bellossom! Now use Magical Leaf!" Bellossom summons up a volley of multi-colored glowing leaves, which it sends out into the flurry of petals. The petals and the leaves combine to form a swirling flurry of light and color. The young man cheers, "Yeah, we did it! Great job Bellossom, we finally mastered the combination! We'll be ready for out next contest for sure!"

Bellossom leaps up and cheers, "Bell!" The two begin to laugh happily together.

Kappaqua sees this, smiles, and has a flashback to a similar time when it and Brenda laughed together. That memory is then interrupted by one of Brenda shouting, "If you can't understand that then maybe you should go and find yourself a new trainer!" Kappaqua suddenly begins to cry again.

The young man hears this and looks over to see Kappaqua. He runs over to it. "Oh my, are you alright?"

Bellossom adds with concern, "Bell bell?"

Kappaqua continues to cry. The young man strokes Kappaqua's head. He says comfortingly, "Now, now, don't cry little one. Everything will be okay."

Kappaqua looks up towards him with wide eyes.

* * *

Brenda and her Pokémon are still searching. "Kappaqua! Please, where are you!?" She appears to be very upset and on the verge of crying.

"Rabbolt bolt rab!"

"Glitererererfly!?"

"Frost frost frostcicle!"

A tear comes to Brenda's eye. She thinks, _Kappaqua…we were best friends…we were partners… _She then sobs. "I'm just a no good at being a coordinator or a trainer…maybe I should just give up on finding Kappaqua…it's probably happier without me messing up its life." But then she can't help but have a flashback to the first time she ever saw Kappaqua.

In Pine's lab a Pokéball sits on a table with three others. Pine walks over to the ball and opens it. Kappaqua is sent out. It happily says, "Kappapapaqua!"

Then Brenda remembers when they first bonded, the event that lead to her picking it to be her first Pokémon. She's wandering through a forest looking for Kappaqua after it ran away from Pine's lab and out of nowhere she hears the cry of a distressed Pokémon, "Kap! Kappaqua! Kappa!"

Brenda dashes forward and finds herself right before a cliff. There, hanging off of a scrawny tree over the cliff, is the missing Kappaqua. The branch it's on is sagging, and seems dangerously close to snapping. Brenda shouts, "Kappaqua, are you okay!?"

The Pokémon responds with a panicked, "Kappa! Kappa!"

"Right, of course, hanging over a cliff. Alright, just hang in there, I'll figure out a way to get you down." She looks around and sees a fallen branch. She runs over and picks it up. "I'm going to extend this branch towards you, you just need to grab onto it. Okay?"

"Kappa! Kap!" Brenda does as she explained. Kappaqua looks towards the branch, towards Brenda, and then back to the branch. It shouts, "Kappaqua!" as it leaps from its branch to hers. She pulls the branch and falls backwards as she does. Kappaqua lands on her stomach.

She asks, "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

It sighs, "Aqua…"

"Come on, let's get back to the lab." She gets up and tosses the branch into some nearby bushes. As soon as it lands, a buzzing sound can be heard. She looks towards Kappaqua and asks, "Do you hear that, or is it just me?" It gulps in nervousness.

Out of the bushes rise ten or so Beedrill. They can be heard buzzing, as well as saying, "Bee, bee, bee!"

"That's a lot of Beedrill…" Brenda, still carrying Kappaqua runs away. The Beedrill follow them in pursuit. They run through the forest, weaving through trees.

After running through the forest for a little Kappaqua starts to complain, "Kappa, kap, kappaqua!"

Brenda questions while still panicking, "What is it Kappaqua?"

Kappaqua jumps out of her arms and lands before the Beedrill, who stop as soon as they see that Brenda and Kappaqua have. "Kappa kappa!"

Brenda realizes what it means. "You want to protect me?"

It affirms, "Kappa!" It closes its eyes in concentration and then shouts, "Kappaqua!" as its eyes glow purple. A purple energy appears around all the Beedrill, and they're thrown to the side.

Brenda exclaims, "That was a Confusion attack, and a powerful one at that!"

As if to show it has more, it fires a jet of water from its mouth, soaking the Beedrill.

"And that was a Water Gun! You're a powerful Pokémon!"

The wet Beedrill fly away. Kappaqua gives a prideful, "Aqua!" it jumps back into Brenda's arms.

She smiles and says, "I guess we're even now, aren't we?"

Once that flashback ends, Brenda thinks back to many of the other moments she and Kappaqua have shared together, including their first battle against Alice and her Chipmunch, their effort to catch Glowva, and their first contest entered.

The flashbacks end and Brenda sobs even harder. "Kappaqua!"

Frostcicle floats up to Brenda and declares, "Frost frost, frost frost."

Brenda looks up to it. "I'm sorry Frostcicle I know all you want is for me to be happy, but not now."

Frostcicle doesn't listen. It looks up to the tree above them and uses an Icy Wind attack to freeze all of the leaves. It then uses Crystal Beam, the light from which glitters and sparkles as it is reflected and refracted across the frozen leaves.

Glitterfly and Rabbolt join in, adding their respective Signal Beam and Shockwave to the mix, both of which are also reflected and refracted for a dazzling show of sparkling lights.

Brenda doesn't stop crying, but she can't help but smile. "Oh you guys…" With renewed determination she suddenly gets up and wipes the tears from her eyes. "That's it, no more crying. I need to be strong. Do you hear that Kappaqua? We're not going to stop looking until we find you!"

Brenda's Pokémon cheer. "Frost frostcicle!"

"Gliterererererfly!"

"Bolt rab!"

* * *

Brock is carefully observing his boiling soup pot as he's deep in thought. He suddenly declares, "Alright, I'm done!"

Ash, who is actually lying down on the picnic table with his body sprawled over it, suddenly jolts up. "You're done!?"

"I'm done deciding what ingredient needs to be added next!" He takes a handful of herbs and tosses them into the pot. "Now…to decide what kind of potatoes to add. I could add those little fingerlings, or a bigger russet that's been chopped up. Or I could be daring and add a sweet potato even…hmm…"

Ash collapses. His stomach rumbles. He moans.

* * *

Kappaqua leaps up into the air and creates an Aqua Bomb. It then levitates said Aqua Bomb with Confusion. Once it has a grip on the Aqua Bomb, it pulls it apart, creating several mini Aqua Bombs, each of which it flings straight up into the air. Both Kappaqua and the Aqua Bombs hit the ground at the same time, creating a ring of miniature explosions around Kappaqua as it lands.

The young man and Bellossom clap. "That was a wonderful performance. You must not be a wild Pokémon, you've had a trainer who has trained you well."

Kappaqua suddenly looks away with sadness.

"Oh…is that what was wrong? Your trainer?"

Kappaqua looks back and nods. "Kap…"

He walks up to it and strokes its head again. "I'm sorry to hear that. I sincerely hope that whatever your troubles are, you find a solution to them."

Kappaqua sighs. "Kappa…"

Then Brenda suddenly shouts, "Kappaqua! I'm so glad I finally found you!" Out from the woods runs Brenda and the other Pokémon.

The man says, "Look, there's your trainer now, everything's looking up already."

Once Kappaqua gets over its surprise of seeing Brenda, it leaps behind the man.

Brenda recoils in surprise. "Kappaqua…?"

Kappaqua accuses angrily, "Kappa kap aqua kappapapapaqua!"

Brenda freezes. "Kappaqua…I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am…please…come back with me."

Kappaqua shakes its head. "Kap."

The young man seems to gather some sort of understanding of what's going on. He introduces himself, "Hello, my name is Bret. Your Kappaqua found my Bellossom and me working on our performance for our next contest."

Brenda is too focused on Kappaqua to respond, but she eventually replies, "Hi, uh, I'm Brenda."

Bret then states, "If you would allow it, I would make the suggestion that you and I have a contest battle."

Brenda questions, "A contest battle? What for?"

"Your Kappaqua seems to have taken a liking to me. And I sense some animosity between the two of you. I think you battling your Kappaqua might be just what the two of you need."

Brenda realizes what he's suggesting. "Well…um…you see…I've kind of stopped doing contests..."

Bret questions, "Stopped contests?" He looks down to Kappaqua and realizes by its emotion that this is a point of tension between the two. He looks back to Brenda. "Tell me. What is more important to you? Not participating in contests, or your bond with Kappaqua?"

Brenda is taken aback. "Kappaqua of course."

"Then prove it."

Brenda slowly nods. "Okay…I'll do it."

Kappaqua is shocked by Brenda taking this step.

Bret looks down to Kappaqua. "What do you say little one? Do you want to battle with me against Brenda?"

Kappaqua is reluctant at first, but then nods. "Kap."

"Good. Let's get this battle underway."

* * *

Brenda and Bret have taken their positions for battle. Kappaqua stands in front of Bret and Frostcicle floats in front of Brenda. Bret offers, "Why don't you take the first move?"

Brenda nods. "Alright Frostcicle, let's use Crystal Beam!" Frostcicle begins to charge its internal energy and then releases it in beam form.

Bret orders, "Kappaqua, suspend an Aqua Bomb right in front of you with Confusion!" Kappaqua generates an orb of water and flings it forward. Almost immediately it catches and suspends it the air with its psychic powers. The Crystal Beam makes contact with the floating orb of water and is actually refracted towards the side and harmlessly hits a nearby tree.

Both Brenda and Kappaqua gasp, having been surprised that such a maneuver worked.

Bret then shouts, "Great job, little one! Now let's go in for the attack, launch that Aqua Bomb forward!"

"Kapppppp aqua!" Kappaqua flings the Aqua Bomb right at Frostcicle.

Brenda counters, "Stop it with Icy Wind!" Frostcicle blows a breath of icy air at the incoming projectile, quickly freezing it. The frozen sphere begins to fall to the ground.

Bret declares, "Don't let that stop you! Pick it back up with Confusion!" Kappaqua catches the frozen Aqua Bomb before it hits the ground and then throws it once more at Frostcicle. It hits, first shattering and then exploding. Frostcicle is sent flying back.

"We can do this Frostcicle! Use Aurora Beam!" Frostcicle quickly gets back up and fires a beam of glistening rainbow lights.

"Kappaqua, detonate an Aqua Bomb right in front of you!"

Brenda gasps. "The shockwave of that would only hurt Kappaqua!"

Kappaqua is hesitant at first, but then decides to listen. It flings another Aqua Bomb, this time aiming only for the ground just ahead of it. It explodes and momentarily creates a wall of water. The Aurora Beam hits this wall, flash-freezing it, thus stopping the shockwave from hitting Kappaqua. Kappaqua grins happily upon seeing it worked.

Brenda gasps and observes the resulting wall of ice with dismay. She thinks, _These two only just met…and yet they're working perfectly together…Bret is a better match for Kappaqua than I ever could hope to be… _She shakes off her disbelief and retrains her focus back to the battle. "Use Mist, Frostcicle!" Frostcicle covers the field in mist, making it impossible to see anything.

Bret warns, "Careful Kappaqua, it could attack from any angle at any time."

Then Brenda orders, "Icy Wind now!"

Immediately responding to this, Bret orders, "Spin around and use Water Gun!" Kappaqua quickly responds and spins around 360 degrees, using Water Gun the entire time. The Water gun hits Frostcicle, hiding to Kappaqua's left, before it can unleash the Icy Wind. The mist begins to clear.

Seeing this display, Brenda freezes up. _Those two are perfect together… _In that moment she makes up her mind. She raises a Pokéball and says with no emotion, "Frostcicle, return." Frostcicle is recalled. Brenda turns around and begins to walk away.

Glitterfly and Rabbolt instantly begin to object. She returns them to their Pokéballs too. She just keeps on walking away. It is now obvious that she is fighting back tears.

Bret asks, "Where are you going?"

Brenda responds without turning to face him, "Isn't it obvious? Kappaqua ran away from me because I told it to find a new trainer. It has. You two work much better together than Kappaqua and I ever have. I want Kappaqua to have what's best for it, and that's not me." She continues to walk away.

Bret looks down to Kappaqua, who has turned away from Brenda and is doing its best to ignore her. "Kappaqua, don't let her do this. There's no going back if you do." Kappaqua crosses its arms sternly and ignores the statement.

Brenda walks back into the woods. Once she is out of sight of Bret and Kappaqua, she suddenly collapses to her knees and begins to sob. "Kappaqua…goodbye…"

Brenda goes back to having flashbacks of everything her and Kappaqua have gone through, the good and the bad. They only make her cry harder.

Suddenly she is pulled out if her flashbacks by a happy, "Kappapapapaqua!"

She quickly looks up to see Kappaqua standing next to her. In between sobs she manages to ask, "Kappaqua….what are you…doing here…?"

Kappaqua points at her and then back to itself and says, "Kappa kap aqua kappapapa!"

Brenda sniffles. "Do you really mean that? You want to stay with me?"

Kappaqua nods. "Kappa." It then holds something out for Brenda.

Brenda gasps. "You...found my ribbon..."

Kappaqua nods again and motions for Brenda to take it back.

She does and then holds it close to her chest. Overcome with emotion, Brenda grabs Kappaqua and embraces it with a hug. "Oh Kappaqua, I could never apologize enough for what I said and the way I've been acting recently. I'm so sorry."

Kappaqua offers, "Kappa appa appaqua."

Brenda nods. "It's a deal. We'll meet each other half-way. I may not be ready to enter a contest again yet, but I'll stop acting so down, and who knows what the future might hold. Okay?"

Kappaqua nods happily. "Kappa!"

* * *

Brenda emerges from the woods back at the picnic site. She proclaims, "I'm back!"

Brock declares, "Perfect timing! I just finished my special soup! Lunch is ready." He looks around and realizes that the sun is setting. "Hmm…I suppose dinner is ready. Time sure flies when you're cooking soup."

Ash, who appears to be passed out on the floor, is suddenly revived. "Food!"

Brenda and Kappaqua giggle.

* * *

Jessie, still dressed as Jessileia, and Repiv are in the middle of a battle against a Jolteon. Jessie orders, "Now Repiv, it's time we've finally brought an end to this battle! Use Poison Fang!" Repiv lunges at Jolteon and bites down. Jolteon quickly faints.

The judges all declare a knock-out.

Gillian announces, "And it's all over! The winner of the contest is Princess Jessileia!"

Jessie leaps into the air and shouts, "Stardom, it's all mine!"

From the audience, James declares, "Jessie did it! She got her second ribbon!"

Meowth adds, "Just three more and we'll never have to hear her complain about losing again!"

* * *

It's the next day. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking through a city. Brenda is holding Kappaqua again.

Ash stops in front of a poster. "Hey, look at this. They're hosting a Pokémon Contest here."

Brock leans over to read it. "It looks like it was held yesterday. We just missed it. Sorry Brenda."

Brenda and Kappaqua both look to each other and laugh. Brenda then says, "Yeah…too bad."

_It is said that in the most perfect of friendships, that which tests relationships only serves to make them stronger. Certainly this was the case today for Brenda and her faithful partner Kappaqua. Will this dynamic duo enter another contest? Only time will tell, so stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	52. Episode 52: Tenno's Got Talent

Episode 52: Tenno's Got Talent

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are standing outside of a large and elegantly designed building. It displays the Pokéball logo of the Tenno League. Ash proclaims, "Finally, the Versal City Gym!"

_Today we meet up with our heroes right as they make it to Versal City, and more importantly for Ash, its gym. It looks as if his fourth Tenno gym badge could be just around the corner._

Ash walks up to the entrance and prepares to open the door. Just as he reaching for it, the door opens itself. Exiting the building is the Dragon-Type trainer Ryu. No longer does his Dratini drape itself around his neck. Now a Dragonair follows behind him.

He sees Ash and immediately groans. "Great…it's you."

Ash grins. "Hey Ryu, long time no see. I haven't seen you since your battle with Galileo. I see your Dratini Evolved, that's awesome!"

Brenda takes out her Pokédex. "Dragonair, the Dragon Pokémon and a Dragon-Type. This Pokémon can be found in the land, sea, and sky. Many tales and myths revolve around it and its mystical ability to control the weather. Evolves from Dratini at level 30 and into Dragonite at level 55."

Ash then asks, "Did you just challenge the gym?"

Ryu breaks his silence and answers rudely, "No, that would be impossible."

Ash is confused. "Impossible? Why?"

"Because the gym is closed. I went in and was immediately turned around. Apparently the leader is away on important business."

Ash complains, "Closed? But I wanted to get my next gym badge."

"Well that's just too bad, isn't it? Now if you'd excuse me, I've got better places to be." He walks around Ash.

As he's walking away, Ash challenges, "Hey, why don't you and I have another battle?"

Ryu looks back to him. "That depends, have you caught any Dragon-Types yet?"

Ash looks at him with annoyance. "The answer is the same as last time."

"Then you aren't worth my time." He begins to walk away again."

Ash runs up to him and gets in his way. "Hey, what gives? Don't you remember how my non-Dragon-Type Pokémon and I rescued all of your Pokémon from Team Rocket? Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Ryu groans. "Unfortunately, it means I'm in your debt. It does not, however, say anything about you or your Pokémon. Anyone could have stopped those buffoons. A trainer with proper Dragon-Types could have done it with ease. Now leave me alone." He keeps on walking.

Ash remains still this time. He clenches his fist with anger. He mutters, "What is wrong with that guy?"

Brock and Brenda approach him. Brock says, "Hey, not everyone sees things the same way. It's best to just let it go."

Brenda nods. "Yeah, he isn't worth your time anyways."

Ash sighs. "You're right, but I can't help but be bugged by him."

Trying to change the topic, Brock suggests, "Well, if the gym leader is gone on business for now, we'll need something to do in the meantime. How about for now we head to the Pokémon Center for a rest?"

Brenda accuses, "You just want to see Nurse Joy, don't you?"

Brenda gets defensive, "I never said that."

Brenda laughs. "But you were thinking it, weren't you?"

Brock reluctantly admits, "Yes…"

* * *

On their way to the Pokémon Center Ash, Brock, and Brenda turn a corner, only for a young woman with fiery red hair in a rush to crash into Ash from the other side. Both get knocked to the ground. She quickly gets back up and apologizes, "Oh, I'm so sorry. How clumsy of me. Please forgive me." She bows in apology.

Ash gets back up too. He is about to respond when Brock leaps into action and cuts him off. Brock grabs her hand and declares, "Apologize not, for while it may seem like my friend that you stumbled into, it is really in my heart that you made your crash landing, and such an act cannot necessitate an apology, because it has brought you into my life."

Before she can respond to this, Meteorfight appears and performs a leaping uppercut at Brocks chin, sending him flying into to air. Brock shouts, "Now I'm the one crash landing!"

Ash says to the girl, "Sorry about him. My name's Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu."

Pikachu waves. "Pika pikachu."

Brenda introduces, "And I'm Brenda. The guy on the ground over there is Brock."

Ash continues, "And don't worry about bumping into me, it's no big deal."

The girl smiles. "Thank you. My name is Olivia."

Ash asks, "So what was it that you're in such a hurry for anyways?"

Olivia suddenly remembers she was in a hurry. "Oh no! The show!"

Brenda asks, "What show?"

Olivia looks around anxiously, "Today Versal City is the location that they're filming an episode of The Talent of Tenno."

Brenda exclaims, "The Talent of Tenno! I love that show! Every episode is a talent show showcasing the best talent a city has to offer. And if you win an episode you get to go one and compete against the winners of other cities. My mom and I used to watch that show all the time! They're actually here?"

Olivia nods. "Yeah, and it's open auditions too. But they close soon! I've got to get moving if I want to enter!"

Brock suddenly gets up and declares, "I shall enter too!"

Brenda and Ash both ask at once, "You will!?"

Brock nods. "For if sweet Olivia is passionate for it then so too am I!"

Ash looks to Pikachu. "Hey buddy, you want to try entering too?"

Pikachu nods happily. "Pik."

Olivia says, "That's great, follow me and I'll show you to the studio!" They all run off.

* * *

Olivia has lead them to a signup table. All around them is a hectic rush of people attempting to sign up. Ash, Brock, and Olivia are all in the process of filling out forms. Ash looks up to Brenda who is watching them. He asks, "Aren't you going to sign up Brenda?"

She shakes her head. "I don't know what I would do."

Brock suggests, "You could do a performance like you would in the Appeal Stage of a Pokémon Contest."

Brenda cringes slightly, but quickly regains composure. "No…I think I'll just save my material for an actual Pokémon Contest…" She then says under her breath, "If I even enter one again…"

Ash nods. "Alright, fair enough." He then turns to Olivia and asks, "This talent show seems pretty important to you. Is there any particular reason?"

She nods. "Oh there is indeed. This show means the world to me right now. Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed about having my own show. Entertaining others is my passion in life, I want to be able to bring a smile to people's faces. That is what gives my life meaning. The winner of The Talent of Tenno's finale episode gets their own show, it's the opportunity I've always dreamed of."

Nearby someone begins pushing through the crowd shouting in strong and likely fake French accent, "Out of my way, the winner of this talent show has arrived." Into view walks an overly dressed up woman wearing a sequenced red dress. She has long red hair. Following her are two escorts in suits, one is short and the other has blue hair. The woman steps up to the table and says, "As I am sure you can tell simply by looking, you have found your winner of this contest already. Madame Jessica has arrived. You might as well just cancel the show now."

Sounding completely monotone and indifferent, the woman on the other side of the table says, "If you want to win you have to compete. And if you want to compete you have to fill out this form." She shoves a form at the other.

Taking offense, she declares "Madame Jessica does not fill out forms." She snaps her fingers. "You two, fill out that form for me."

They both nod and says, "Yes ma'am, right away."

She walks away laughing. "If they're so eager to watch me stomp on the competition, then that's what I'll do."

* * *

A woman with a microphone on stage announces, "Welcome one and all to this week's exciting episode of The Talent of Tenno! I'm your host, Veronica, and I'm sure you're all ready to see some talent!" The audience breaks into applause. "So without any further hesitation, it's time for our first act! He's traveled all the way from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region to appear on our show! Here he is, Ash Ketchum!"

Ash and Pikachu run out onto the stage excitedly. They stop center stage and turn to face each other. Ash says to Pikachu, "Hey Pikachu, I have to Axew a question." As Ash says this, Pikachu distorts its face so that it looks like that of an Axew by pointing its ears back, protruding its chin forward and widening its eyes. Ash continues, "You see, I'm Seaking directions." Pikachu now changes its face so that its ears protrude forward like Seaking's horn and it stretches its face to give it a fish-like appearance. The audience begins to chuckle as they realize what is going on. Ash then asks, "I'm trying to get somewhere before the Eevee-ning." Pikachu now distorts its face to match that of an Eevee.

Elsewhere, in a Pokémon Center, the TV is showing Ash's live performance. Ryu is picking up his Pokémon from Nurse Joy. He looks up to see Ash on the TV and groans with annoyance. "What is he doing?"

Back on stage, Ash continues, "I know this may seem a little Farfetch'd," Pikachu extends its lips like a beak and uses its ears to imitate Farfetch'd's v-shaped eyebrow, "but there's no Shaymin asking." Pikachu mimics the face of Shaymin Sky Form. "I'd really like to get there with minimal a-Crobat-ics." Pikachu crouches so that its head covers most of its body and opens its mouth in a similar way to Crobat's grin, while using its arms and legs to imitate Crobat's wings. "I hope this isn't too Onix-pected." Pikachu distorts its face so that its jaw is extended forward and it points it ears back, giving it the appearance of an Onix. "I'm hoping if I Dewott you tell me I can make it in time." Pikachu matches the scowl of determination given by Dewott. "So Wynaut help me out?" Pikachu closes its eyes in the V-shape of Wynaut's eyes, opens its mouth wide, scrunching the top lip into a zigzag pattern, and lets its ears fall to the side. This time Ash waits for an answer, but none is given. Ash finishes the act by saying, "Come on, there's no need to say a Meowth full." Pikachu concludes with its imitation of Meowth.

Everyone in the audience is cracking up with laughter, everyone except Meowth, who is sitting next to James and pouting. He complains, "That looks nothing like me, nothing at all."

James laughs and nudges him in the side. "I think it's spot on." Meowth pouts further.

Veronica returns to the stage and announces, "And there you have it, a hilarious performance! Let's see what our judges have to say."

Shown now is a panel of three judges facing the stage. The first one is a fairly joyful looking man. He exclaims, "That might just have been the funniest thing I've ever seen! You took a random assembly of puns and turned it into a show. Great job!"

The next judge is a woman who seems excited. "Forget the puns, your Pikachu and its faces are just the most adorable thing I've ever seen!"

The final judge is another man, this one seems grumpy. He shrugs indifferently. "I guess it was amusing, but I personally don't see what was so funny about a bunch of cheesy puns and accompanying facial distortions. You haven't won me over."

Veronica then announces, "And there you have it! Will Ash move on to the final round? We'll just have to watch the other acts and find out!"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon predicts storms by sensing subtle differences in the sounds of waves and tidal winds with its fins. If a storm is approaching, it piles up boulders to protect itself.**

* * *

"Alright, up next is yet another entrant from the Kanto Region! All the way from Pewter City, we have Brock!"

Brock steps out onto the stage. He dressed in a colorful outfit with pink frills on the sleeves. He also a sombrero, a fake mustache, and holds two Pokéball-inspired maracas. He looks to the host, who has moved of stage, and declares, "I dedicate this song to you Veronica." Then some upbeat music begins to play. Brock begins to dance and shake his maracas. He sings, "So la la la, look at my smiling face, there are lots of girls, I'm in my happy place, so la la la, this is my paradise'll live on. Oh-lé-Yeah-Yo-Mmm. Oh!" The audience begins to cheer for Brock.

Backstage, Ash, Brenda, and Olivia are watching Brock via a TV. Brenda muses, "I didn't know Brock could sing."

Ash nods. "Yeah, he's a natural one-hit-wonder."

Brock continues to sing, "La la la la la la, I kinda like this song, la la la la la la, why don't you sing along? La la la la la la, I sing my la la la, for the girls. For! The! Girls! Yeah! Mmm!" He concludes and takes a bow. He is immediately given a standing ovation by the audience.

The judges go immediately into judging. The joyful one exclaims, "That song was wonderful! You sang it flawlessly!"

The excited one says, "That was one catchy tune. It's going to be stuck in my head all night for sure." She begins to hum it.

The grumpy one deliberates for a moment and then breaks his silence by saying, "Well…you actually got my foot tapping to the music. I think you might – emphasis on the might – have something here."

The audience claps again.

* * *

**It's Swampert!**

* * *

Veronica then announces, "Alright, our next contestant claims that she needs no introduction, but I think we'll play it safe, give it up for Madame Jessica!" The crowd applauds as the woman who is obviously Jessie walks out onto the stage.

She declares with her fake French accent, "Bonjour to all of my adoring fans, it is true, for Madame Jessica has arrived!" She begins to strike a series of poses, rapidly changing from one to another.

After several moments of this the audience is looking at her with confusion and boredom. James sighs. "When she told me that she had a talent, I assumed she meant more than this…"

Meowth chides, "She did, how big she's making her ego right now is her true talent."

Getting fed up, the grumpy judge asks, "Excuse me, but what exactly is your talent?"

Without stopping her chain of poses, Jessie answers, "Why it is simply my beauty. For such unmatched beauty is greatest talent one can possess."

The three judges all look to each other and nod. They then all press a button in front of them, causing a loud buzzing noise to sound. Jessie ignores it and continues to strike pose after pose. The audience begins to boo her.

Veronica comes out onto the stage and says, "Um…Jessica…I'm sorry, but that noise means your act is over."

Jessie stops. "Oh, so you've come to your senses and decided to declare me the winner right here on the spot. Thank you so much, I'm honored."

The grumpy judge stands up and asserts, "No, it means that you've been disqualified, now please leave the stage, we have actual acts to judge."

Jessie is taken aback. "What!?" She then turns around and marches off the stage, muttering angrily under her breath.

Meowth groans. "Good grief…we're never going to hear the end of this now."

James sighs. "You're right…we better get going…" Meowth nods and the two sulk off.

* * *

Everyone is now backstage. Olivia looks nervous. She's dressed up in some sort of combination of a black suit and a dress. She also wears a top hat. Ash walks up to her and asks, "You feeling okay?"

She nods. "Yeah, I'm just so happy to have this chance, but also nervous that my entire future could be decided with this one act."

Brock, still dressed in his costume, says, "Just go out there with confidence and everything well work out just fine."

She nods. "You're right. I can do this."

Then Veronica can be heard saying, "The next act is sure to blow you away, give it up for Olivia the Great!"

She smiles. "That's my cue."

Brenda says, "Break a leg."

Olivia grins and then runs out onto the stage. Once she's out, she announces, "Hello one and all! I've got a show for you! But first, I'll be needing some help from my assistant!" She clasps her hands and then separates them, revealing a Pokéball that seemingly appears out of nowhere. She tosses and declares, "Alakazam!" and out comes an Alakazam.

Backstage, Brenda takes out her Pokédex. "Alakazam, the Psi Pokémon and a Psychic-Type. This Pokémon is known for extreme intelligence and powerful brain, which is so powerful that it grants the Pokémon psychokinetic powers. It uses the spoons it carries to channel said power. Evolves from Kadabra via trading."

Olivia shouts, "Alright Alakazam, let's do this!" She flicks her hand and conjures up a magic wand. "For our first trick, Alakazam and I will need a volunteer." She looks to the judges' table. "Would one of you like to come up here and help out?"

The first two judges look to the grumpy one. He sighs. "Fine, if I must." He gets up and walks onto the stage. "What do you want me to do?"

"I just need you to stand there. Now, we're going to start off with something a little more common tonight." She pulls of her hat and hands it to the judge. "Please observe that hat until you are satisfied that it's empty."

The judge takes it and carefully looks it over. He puts his hand in and feels the inside. "It's empty."

She takes it back. "Are you certain, because…" she reaches into it, "I think I've found something." By the ears she pulls a Rabbolt out of the hat. The audience claps. "Now of course, I'm sure you were expecting that one, so what if I told you that I found something else?" She reaches back in. After rummaging for a moment, she struggles to pull something out. A moment later out comes a Diggersby, much too big to have been concealed in the hat. This time the crowd really applauds.

The judge is surprised. "How'd you do that?"

Olivia grins. "Magic." She then walks over to Alakazam. "Now for my next trick. I am certain that there is those among you that are skeptical of me using an Alakazam as my partner. You probably think I'm using its psychic powers to cheat somehow. Well allow me to prove you wrong. Alakazam, use Psychic." Using Psychic, Alakazam levitates Olivia into the air. "Notice how when Alakazam lifts me, the characteristic purple glow that proves this is the work of a Pokémon." Alakazam sets her down. She looks to the judge. "What would you tell me if I told you that I could levitate myself without help from a Pokémon?"

"Why I'd call you crazy."

"Am I crazy? Am I really? You might want to look again."

The judge gasps. Upon looking at her feet he realizes that she is floating several inches off the ground. There is no glow from a Psychic-Type attack whatsoever. He says with disbelief, "You're actually floating!"

She grins. "And that's not all, look to your own feet."

He looks down and gasps to find himself floating as well. "I'm floating!"

Olivia waves her wand and then both of them are set back down to the floor. She takes a bow as the audience all claps.

Still full of disbelief, the judge returns to his seat. The joyful judge looks over to him and says, "I think you should go first this time."

The grumpy judge nods. "I went into this thinking there was no way. Magic is just a bunch of smoke and mirrors. But I saw no smoke and mirrors."

The excited one says, "If you managed to impress him, that alone impresses me."

The joyful one says, "Indeed, I think you brought a little magic into this night in a big way." The audience applauds again as Olivia leaves the stage.

* * *

All of the contestants, except for Jessie, are now up on the stage. Veronica announces, "Alright, it's now that time. We had so many wonderful acts, but only five can go through to the second round. Let's see the results!" On a large screen five pictures appear. One of them is Brock and the other is Olivia. The various contestants all cheer or look disappointed.

Ash looks down to Pikachu and says, "Tough luck buddy, I guess we didn't make the cut."

The excited judge says, "Please, all of you know that each and every one of your acts were amazing. If we could have picked more than five we would have. We wish you all the best of luck. And for those who did make it through, we're looking forward to seeing your second round performance."

Olivia is so excited she can't seem to contain it. She looks to her Alakazam and cheers, "This is it Alakazam. All those years of training are finally paying off!"

Alakazam cheers, "Alakazam!"

* * *

Brock is back up on stage. Veronica says, "Alright Brock, show us what you've got for round two!"

Brock grins. "You've got it Veronica. Hit it!" The beat to Brock's song begins to play again. He begins to dance and sings, ""So la la la, look at my smiling face, there are lots of girls, I'm in my happy place, so la la la, this is my paradise'll live on. Oh-lé-Yeah-Yo-Mmm. Oh!"

Suddenly a buzzing sound is heard. Brock's backtrack stops playing. Brock freezes. The joyful judge says, "Sorry, but there must have been a misunderstanding. We want to see something different out of you. A different song, that way we can better judge you as a performer."

Brock hangs his head in shame. "But…that's the only song I know…"

The grumpy judge says bluntly, "Then I guess we made the wrong decision in picking you." Brock walks off the stage with shame.

* * *

The three other performances also give their second round show. There's one that's a group of acrobats, along with their Simisage, Simipour, and Simisear. Another is a group of dancers who dance with a Bellossom, Ludicolo, and Lilligant. The third is a singer who sings in a duet with her Kricketune.

Veronica then announces, "Alright folks, we have one last performance before we decide who tonight's big winner is! You loved her before, so here she is again, Olivia the Great!"

Olivia and her Alakazam run out onto the stage. Behind Ash and Pikachu also run out. She takes a bow before the clapping audience and then says, "Before we start, I would to thank Ash and Pikachu for volunteering to help me out with my next act." She turns to them. "Pikachu, if you would please stand next to Alakazam, we may begin the show." Pikachu runs over to Alakazam.

Before Olivia can say anything else, there is a sudden explosion above. A hole has been created in the roof. Everyone murmurs in shock. Through the hole lowers down some sort of prop boat. On it are Jessie, still dressed up, and James, back in his suit from before. A backtrack begins to play and both Jessie and James begin to sing, "You know us as Team Rocket and we fight for what is wrong. We're tired of our motto so we thought we try a song!"

Jessie throws off her costume, and then sings, "Jessie!"

And so does James, followed by a, "James!"

Then they both sing, "The speed of light, prepare to fight!"

Meowth pops up and adds in song, "Meowth, that's right!"

After a short pause, James sings, "I am the handsome one!"

And Jessie, "I'm the gorgeous one!"

They both sing, "Looking good is lots of fun. We get some things wrong, but we keep rolling along!"

Then all three of them sing, "We want to capture Pikachu. We hope to do it soon. And when we do we'll be the new stars of this..." they pause for dramatic effect, and then conclude with a drawn out note, "cartoon!"

Ash demands, "Team Rocket!? Get out of here!"

Meowth presses a button and laughs. "Sure, just as soon as we grab a hold of your Pokémon!" From a compartment at the bottom of boat they're in, a large net is thrown. It catches both Pikachu and Alakazam. A rope attached to it retrieves the net with the Pokémon inside. The boat then begins to rise back out of the building.

Ash shouts, "Hey, get back here!"

Jessie scoffs. "What do you want us to do? Get out or get back? Make up your mind already!" She chuckles at her own joke.

James chuckles as well and tosses a Pokéball. "Haking, help them make up their minds and cover us as we exit stage up!" Haking appears and releases a Smokescreen.

This cause everyone in the theater to begin to panic and cough. By the time the smoke clears, Team Rocket is gone.

Olivia shouts, "Alakazam!"

Ash says, "Don't worry, we'll get them back!" He leaps off the stage and runs down the aisle to the exit. Olivia follows him.

Once they get outside they look up to see Team Rocket in their boat, which is being towed through the air by their balloon. They're laughing and enjoying their getaway. Ash says, "They're getting too high."

James suggests, "Look at the Twerp stand there helpless. We've actually done it this time."

Meowth suggests, "Hey, why don't we celebrate with another verse of that song. I love that song!"

Jessie and James both nod. "Sure." They begin to sing, "You know us as Team Rocket and we fight for what is wrong. We're tired of our motto so we thought we try a song!"

Ash reaches for a Pokéball. "Maybe Falcoknight can reach them."

But before he sends it out, a commands is heard, "Serpenstar, use Draconic Fire!" Suddenly, a long serpentine Pokémon flies in towards Team Rocket's balloon. Its scales are as black as night, except for several points of glowing light, some larger, some smaller, across its body, giving it the appearance of the night sky. The Pokémon breathes a breath of purple and blue fire at the balloon, causing it to burst.

Team Rocket are singing, "Looking good is lots of fun. We get some things wrong-!" and are cut off by the explosion. Their prop boat is ripped apart and they're sent flying into the air while Alakazam and Pikachu fall towards the ground.

Meowth sighs, "Well, there goes that act."

Jessie complains, "Obviously no one realizes that I'm a superstar."

James suggests, "We might as well do our dance routine next." Jessie and Meowth nod. As they're flying off, they begin to dance in midair.

They all sing at once, "Looks like Team Rocket's dancing off again!"

Meowth adds, "That's all folks!"

And Wobbuffet appears for its part. "Wobbuffet!" And they disappear.

Alakazam catches both Pikachu and itself using its psychic powers and slows their fall.

Ash takes out his Pokédex. "Serpenstar, the Snake Constellation Pokémon and a Dragon and Light Combo-Type. Due to its serpent nature and the pattern of light along the length of its body, this Pokémon would appear to be the origin of the constellation Serpens. This Pokémon is known for its majestic beauty and serene movements. Evolves from Galacerta at level 30 and into Dracosmic at level 50 during the night."

Ash says to himself, "A Dragon-Type. That must mean…"

From behind him someone says, "There, we're even now."

Ash turns around to see Ryu and Dragonair. He grins. "Thanks a lot Ryu, you saved Pikachu and Alakazam."

"I didn't do it for you, I did it to repay my debt. Now leave me alone." He turns around and leaves. Ash stares at him angrily.

Olivia suddenly remembers, "The show! We have to get back to the show!" They quickly run back to the studio.

* * *

Veronica announces, "That's right, you heard the judges! The winner of this week's thrilling episode of the Talent of Tenno is none other than Olivia the Great!" The audience claps. Veronica walks up to Olivia and holds the microphone in front of her. "What does this mean to you Olivia?"

On verge of tears, Olivia answers, "It means everything. I've been studying magic all my life, and now I have a shot at getting my own show. This really is a dream come true."

Veronica then turns back to the camera. "You hear that? The Talent of Tenno makes dreams come true! Make sure to tune into next week's episode, same time, same place!"

* * *

Ash and Brock are standing outside the studio with Olivia. Brenda is nowhere to be seen. Ash asks, "So what are you going to do now, Olivia?"

"I'm going to head on over to Kanaveral City, that's where the finale episode of the Talent of Tenno is being filmed. It's not going to be for a few more weeks, but I should get there extra early so I can practice."

Brock nods. "Good idea."

She then asks, "What about you guys? What are you doing?"

Ash shrugs. "I don't really know. I need to figure out what to do while waiting for the Versal Gym Leader to return."

"Whatever it is, I wish you best of luck at both it and your gym match."

Ash smiles. "And good luck at your performance. I just know you're going to win your own show. I know it."

She smiles back. "You can count on it. Bye guys. Tell Brenda I said bye too." She waves as she turns to leave.

Ash then turns to Brock and asks, "So what are we going to do?"

Brock shrugs. "That's a good question." He looks over Ash's shoulder and sees something on a nearby screen playing. "Hey, look at that!" He and Ash get closer. Playing on the TV is a commercial.

Ash exclaims, "It's for a Pokémon Contest!"

Brock points out, "But not just any Pokémon Contest, look." On the screen appears contest Master Wallace. "It's the Wallace Cup! And it's in Celes City, that's very nearby. We could go there, and then come back here for your gym match."

"Hey, I've got an idea. Brenda needs something to cheer her up, why don't we wait to tell her why we're going to Celes City until we get there, and then surprise her."

Brock nods. "That's a great idea. That should help to cheer her up."

Brenda approaches from behind and asks, "Cheer who up?"

Ash answers, "Oh, no one you need to worry about. What matters is we've just decided where we're going to go next."

"Oh yeah? Where?"

Brock answers, "Celes City."

Brenda nods. "I've heard of that place, I heard they have access to a massive plot of national park land where you can catch tons of Pokémon. Sounds great!"

Ash then says, "So what are we waiting for? Let's go!" So they set off.

_So not only does Tenno have talent, but so too do our heroes. The question that remains to be answered is, will Brenda show of her talent at the upcoming Wallace Cup? Find out next time, for the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	53. Episode 53: Green With Ivy

Episode 53: Green with Ivy

Jessie, James, and Meowth are sitting on a picnic blanket. Jessie and James both look excited. Jessie asks, "What's for lunch, Meowth?"

James adds, "Yeah, I'm getting too hungry to wait any longer."

Meowth grins and pulls out a bag. "Don't fear, for Chef Meowth is here." He reaches into the bag. "I have a wonderful bounty of berries for us to eat today." Then he suddenly freezes and his face takes on a look of panic.

James asks, "Meowth…what's wrong?"

Meowth hesitates to answer, but then says with horror, "Well…um…you see…those berries I promised…well, they're not here."

Jessie shouts in a furious rage, "Not here!? Well where are they then!?"

"Well…it would seem that someone took them while my back was turned…I would think…"

Jessie stomps slowly and angrily towards Meowth "Why you no-good…food loosing…absent-minded…"

James cuts her off, "Hey, wait a second. Can you hear that?"

Jessie and Meowth pause and listen. A noise can be heard. Meowth exclaims, "That sounds like something eating!" He points to some nearby bushes. "Over there! It's coming from over there!"

The three of them leap at the bush at once, pushing it aside and revealing a Pokémon sitting behind it with a pile of berries next to it. It's currently eating one. The Pokémon is a tangled ball of green vines and leaves. Some braided vines emerge from either side of it to form arms, and two extra tangles of vines at its base form feet. The Pokémon looks up to them with curiosity.

Jessie and Meowth both shout at once, "Those are our berries, you thief!"

James then adds, "How dare you thieve from thieves!?"

The Pokémon stands up, quickly gathers up the pile of berries and runs past Team Rocket. As it does, they all try to grab a hold of it, but the moment they do they all leap back and shout, "Itchy!" at once. They immediately begin to scratch themselves. The Pokémon gets away.

Jessie demands, "Why am I so itchy!?"

Meowth shouts, "I may love scratching posts, but I certainly don't want to be one!"

James stops scratching for long enough to pull out a deck of cards. He looks through them until he finds a specific card. "Got it." He pulls out a card with a picture of the same Pokémon. "According to this, that was Ivine, the Poison Ivy Pokémon. Its leaves secrete an irritating oil that cause any who touch to instantly be overcome with an itching sensation. If the contact is prolonged, bad rashes can form as well. It evolves from Tangela by learning the move Ivy Whip."

Jessie states, "That's great, but does your little card say how to stop the itchiness?"

James reads it over once more. "Nope."

Jessie demands in rage, "Then what good is it!?"

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda walk along a dirt path. _Our heroes have set off for Celes City where, unbeknownst to Brenda, the next Wallace Cup is to be held. Will today be a quiet day for them, or are the regular adventures ensured?_

They continue to walk silently. Then suddenly from out of the bushes on one side of the road runs Ivine, still carrying its load of berries, dropping a few in its haste. It dashes out of sight. Brenda comments, "Well…that was random."

Then Team Rocket bursts out of the bushes as well, chasing after it. They don't seem to even notice Ash, Brock, and Brenda in their single-minded pursuit of Ivine. Meowth brings up the rear, stopping whenever he comes across a berry, picking it up, and plopping it into his mouth, then running off again in pursuit.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda stand speechless for another moment. Ash then says, "And that was even more random." They all just look at each other and shrug. They then keep on walking.

* * *

Team Rocket continues to chase fervently after the Ivine. Jessie shouts, "You get back here with my lunch!"

James shouts, "Don't be a thief!"

Meowth picks up another fallen berry and eats it. He then comments, "That's the crook calling the bandit crooked alright."

Ivine continues to run, until it skids to a stop, halting right before it runs off a cliff. It looks down seeing the large fall beneath it and then looks back towards Team Rocket. The three of them are now approaching it slowly and menacingly.

James takes the lead and steps deliberately towards Ivine, who now cowers in fear. James says, "Alright, now there's nowhere to run. Hand over those berries."

"Iv?" It looks from side to side for an escape route. Suddenly there is a loud cracking sound. Ivine looks to the ground in front of it to see it cracking. Before it can respond, it suddenly falls as the ground beneath it collapses. "Ivvvvvvvvv!"

Jessie groans. "Well…there goes lunch…"

James sighs and then pulls something out. "I was planning on saving these for later, but I guess we can eat them now." He pulls out a bag.

Jessie and Meowth both exclaim at once, "Cookies!"

James reaches into the bag and pulls out one. He hesitates and then pulls two Pokéballs off of his belt as well. "I wonder if I should offer one to Haking and Mime Jr. as well."

Jessie scoffs, "Don't be ridiculous, that means one less for the rest of us."

With no warning, before James can retort, the ground beneath him collapses as well, sending him falling. The shock of suddenly falling causes him to toss the bag of cookies and the Pokéballs into the air. The bag falls into Jessie's hands and the Pokéballs into Meowth's. Both look to each other in surprise. Meowth asks, "We probably should try to help him…right?"

Jessie thinks about. "Well…we could do that…or we could go back to our picnic and enjoy these cookies all for ourselves."

Meowth grins. "Sounds great to me. I'm sure James will be just fine. He'll be back in no time." And the two walk off.

Meanwhile, James is still falling. As he falls, he passes by a ledge in the side of cliff, which Ivine stands atop. Upon seeing James fall past it, the Ivine extends two of its leafy vines and catches James. It then pulls him up to the safety of the ledge. It happily waves to him and says, "Ivine!"

James is surprised. "Did you just…save me?"

Ivine nods happily. "Ivine."

James is touched. "After I chased you down and nearly made you fall off a, cliff you still saved me? Wow." He then looks around to assess the situation. Their ledge seems to be about half way up the face of the cliff. "Hmm…no easy way up, no easy way down. How do we get away from here?" As he's thinking he realizes that he's still grasping the cookie that he pulled out earlier. He pockets it for later and goes back to thinking.

Then, once again, the rock below them suddenly fails and gives way. James and Ivine are now literally riding this chunk of rock like a sled down the side of the cliff. They scream in terror.

Despite the terror, they make it down safely. There chunk of rock makes it to the bottom and continues to slide across the ground until it slams into a tree and crashes.

James and Ivine both get up unharmed. James looks to Ivine and asks, "Are you alright?"

The Pokémon nods. "Iv."

James then looks around and assess the situation. He takes note of how tall and sheer the cliff is. "Hmm…no chance of climbing back up. I guess I should just wait for Jessie and Meowth to come and get me in the balloon. They must already be making the necessary preparations."

The scene momentarily cuts to Jessie and Meowth chowing down on James' cookies.

Back with James and Ivine, James nods. "Yes, I'll be back up in no time." He then looks to Ivine. "Well, I suppose you should go ahead and head off into the forest. No need to stay with me, I'll be fine."

Ivine nods and then wanders into the forest.

James smiles to himself. "That Pokémon wasn't so bad after all. Now he's off, back into the…" he looks towards the woods that Ivine disappeared into and notices a sign that shows a symbol shaped like a Pineco along with a warning symbol. James finishes his trailed off sentence by exclaiming, "Into the Pineco infested forest!" He looks up to the sky quickly and says with uncertainty, "I really should wait here for Jessie and Meowth…they could be here any moment…"

Cut to Jessie and Meowth continuing to eat.

James looks back to the sign. "…but I can't allow that Pokémon that saved me to go off into those dangerous woods alone." He groans. "Don't worry Ivine, I'm coming!" He runs off after it.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**There are researchers who believe this Pokémon reflected like a mirror in the distant past.**

* * *

James is running through the woods. He looks around frantically. Then, just through some trees ahead of him, he catches sight of Ivine. He calls out, "Ivine!"

Ivine sees him and waves happily back. "Iv vine!"

James begins to run towards it when he realizes that a Pineco has lowered itself from a tree and now hangs immediately above Ivine. James freezes. "Ivine, whatever you do, don't move."

Ivine tilts its head in confusion. "Vine?"

James silently points to the Pokémon suspended above it. Ivine looks upwards. Undaunted, it exclaims happily, "Ivine!"

This startles the Pineco, causing it to fall. Ivine leaps out of the way just in time, for when the Pineco hits the ground it explodes.

James then runs towards Ivine. As he does, he notices Pineco that have been disturbed beginning to lower down out of trees all over the place. "Let's get out of here Ivine!" He begins to reach to grab Ivine, but then thinks twice about it. "Come on, let's run." He runs and Ivine gets up and follows.

The two of them keep on running. As they run startled Pineco continue to drop one by one from their trees and explode. James and Ivine must dodge and weave around the explosions.

They suddenly skid to a halt as they realize that they have ran right up the base of a tree housing a Forretress. The hanging Pokémon suddenly opens its eyes and realizes the intruders. It lets itself drop to the ground and creates a much larger explosion than any of the Pineco. James and Ivine have no way of escaping and are caught up into the blast. They're sent flying into the air.

James shouts, "Looks like I'm blasting off alone!"

* * *

**It's Bronzor!**

* * *

James and Ivine crash land somewhere on the other side of the forest. James gets up and surveys the area. He realizes that they are nowhere near the cliff now. He sighs. "Now Jessie and Meowth will never be able to find me. I'm certain they're worrying about me right now, as we speak."

Once again Jessie and Meowth are cut to. They are now taking a nap.

Back to James. He looks around a little more. "There's no way going back through that forest is safe. I'll have to go around." He begins to walk along the perimeter of the forest. He looks down to notice that Ivine is following him. He asks, "Ivine, are you coming too?"

Ivine nods. "Ivine."

James grins. "Then we'll make it back together. Alright." And so they walk.

After walking for some ways, James states, "And don't worry about a thing Ivine, Jessie and Meowth will find us in the balloon, then we'll be taken back up to the top of that cliff. We're a team…that's why they call us Team Rocket."

Ivine questions, "Vine?"

James is taken aback with shock. "What!? You've never heard of Team Rocket before!?" How is that possible?"

Ivine shrugs. "Vine ivine…"

James says, "Come on, you have to have heard of us. We're that group of super elite criminals who save the world from nasty do-gooders."

Cut to Jessie and Meowth napping.

James continues, "Twerps tremble in fear upon hearing our name."

This time it cuts to Ash, Brock, and Brenda. They're still walking. Ash sneezes. Brock says, "Gesundheit."

Back to James. "Come on, you have to have heard of us. Maybe you'll know this one." He prepares for a moment and then, in his best impression of Jessie, declares, "Prepare for trouble!"

As himself he says, "Make it double!"

As Jessie, "To protect the world of devastation!"

Himself, "To unite all people within our nation!

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

He then mimics Meowth and adopts a cat-like pose. "Meowth, that's right!"

Then he copies Wobbuffet's face and salutes. "Wobbuffet!"

He looks down to Ivine, "Come on, that motto is world-famous. You have to know it."

Ivine shakes its head. "Ivine."

James hangs his head in shame. He then quickly shakes it off. "Suffice it to say that when you stole those berries you made some powerful enemies."

Ivine takes a step back nervously. "Iv?"

James chuckles. "But also suffice it to say that when you saved me you made a powerful friend."

Ivine smiles. "Vine!"

"Now, we just need to find an alternate route back to the cliff. Hmm…"

As he's thinking, Ivine puts its arm up against a rock and leans back to rest. As soon as it does, the rock begins to move. Ivine leaps back in surprise. It watches as an arm emerges from one side of the rock and scratches the spot where Ivine touched. Upon closer inspection, the arm belongs to the rock. The arm scratches harder and harder. Suddenly the entire rock shakes. It's not a rock at all, it's a sleeping Rhydon. The Rhydon is woken up and it begins to feverishly scratch at the spot Ivine touched. Ivine steps back towards James nervously. It warns cautiously, "Iv…"

James says, "Not now Ivine, I'm thinking."

The Rhydon stops scratching long enough to look up and see Ivine and James. It roars angrily and stomps its feet. It lowers its head and prepares to charge.

Ivine shouts, "Ivine iv ivine!"

James asks, "What, what is it?" He turns around and sees the Rhydon. He freezes up and gulps nervously. "Ivine…when I say run…we run, alright?"

Ivine nods uneasily.

The Rhydon charges. James shouts, "Run!" The two of them take off running and screaming. The Rhydon chases after them.

James reaches for his belt while running. "Haking can help us out." He feels for a Pokéball but finds none. He then has a flashback to losing his Pokéballs when he fell. "Darn, no Haking!" He tries to come up with something else. "I know, try to deter it with your Ivy Whip, Ivine!"

Ivine nods in agreement. It quickly turns around and lashes at Rhydon with its vines. "Iv vine!"

Rhydon stops and begins to scratch at itself where it was hit. James cheers, "That did the trick!" But then Rhydon looks back at James and Ivine. It appears even angrier now. Getting back to running, James shouts in despair, "I take it back! No, that didn't do the trick, it didn't do the trick at all!"

They keep on running. At one point they have to leap right over a bush. Rhydon charges right through the bush, completely destroying it.

Starting to tire out, James notices a tree with a thick branch jutting out. He quickly turns and scrambles to climb up to the branch. One perched up there, he extends a hand to help Ivine up, but then pauses and retracts his hand on second thought. Luckily for Ivine, it can use its vines to climb up without making James itchy.

Rhydon angles itself and charges at the tree's trunk. It rams it once, then twice, then three times. The tree shakes, but James and Ivine remain in their perch. After a couple more rams the Rhydon gets tired and calms down. It turns around, walks a couple of steps away, and then falls back to sleep.

In perfect synchronicity, James and Ivine breathe a collective sigh of relief. James lets himself relax. "That was a close one…"

Ivine nods in agreement. "Ivine."

James takes a look around and sighs. "If only I had Haking with me. I could have it float up and search for the cliff from an aerial viewpoint." He suddenly remembers something. "Hey, I know what I do have though." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the cookie he stored there earlier. "It's not much, but I still haven't eaten lunch."

He's just about to eat the cookie in one bite when he notices Ivine eyeing the cookie. Ivine's stomach rumbles.

James lowers the cookie and smiles with care. He then hands the cookie to Ivine. Ivine looks up to him with surprise. James continues to smile. "Well, go ahead. Take it. By the sounds of it, you need this more than me."

Ivine looks to the cookie, and then up to James once more as if to ask permission. James nods. Ivine quickly grabs the cookie and eats it happily.

James jumps off of the tree limb and says, "Alright, we've had our break. Best we be on our way now."

Ivine finishes chewing and then jumps down to join James. The two of them walk off.

* * *

After walking for a while, they finally make it back to the bottom of the cliff. James surveys the sky for the Team Rocket balloon. "Hmm…Jessie and Meowth must have went off to search for me elsewhere. I'm sure they won't give up until they find me."

Another cut to Jessie and Meowth reveals that they have finished their naps and are now engaged in a riveting game of rock-paper-scissors.

Back with James, he says, "I shouldn't wait for them though. As a member of Team Rocket it is my job to be proactive." He points up the cliff and declares, "The only way up is to climb!" He then gets a handhold on the rock wall, followed by a foothold. He begins to climb, slowly but steadily.

Ivine watches him ascend for a little bit. It then decides to climb as well. It swings a vine of ivy up and grabs hold to a rocky outcropping above. It retracts the vine, thus pulling it up. It passes by James, using a much more efficient method of climbing. Once it makes it up to the outcropping, it lowers another vine towards James and offers to lift him.

James is about to take it up on the offer, but then decides otherwise. "Thanks, but no thanks. I can make it up myself without getting an itchy rash."

Ivine nods in understanding. It then whips it vine upwards to grab hold of another spot on the cliff higher up and ascends further.

So the two continue to climb. James is much slower, but Ivine waits for him to catch up whenever he falls behind. After a little more climbing, James points up. "Look Ivine, we've almost made it to the top. Not much further now."

Ivine excitedly declares, "Ivine!" In its excitement, it doesn't pay complete attention to the vine it just sent up. When it begins to pull itself up, the vine slips, having not been properly secured. Ivine begins to fall. "Viiiiiiiine!"

James watches in horror as Ivine falls past him. He begins to reach out to try to grab it, but hesitates. After a moment of indecision, he shakes his head and removes all signs of doubt from his face. He then reach out and grabs Ivine's vine. He instantly winces as even through his glove his hand becomes itchy. But he ignores it.

Ivine looks up to James with relief and gratitude. It thanks, "Ivine."

James grins and nods. "Don't mention it. Now, if you would be kind enough to take us up the rest of the way."

Ivine nods. "Iv." It then hurls another vine upwards, wrapping it around a tree on the top of the cliff. It then precedes to pull both itself and James the rest of the way up.

As soon as he hits solid ground, James lets go of Ivine's vine and begins to scratch fiercely at his palm. Ivine laughs at him. James begins to laugh as well.

* * *

James and Ivine walk into the area where Team Rocket had set up there picnic area earlier. He sees Jessie and James still their playing rock-paper-scissors. Jessie choses scissors and Meowth choses Rock. Jessie shouts angrily, "No fair! This game is rigged! How do you always end up winning!?"

Meowth chuckles. "Maybe you should stop picking scissors every time."

Jessie laughs as if this is a silly suggestion. "Silly Meowth, scissors are the only beauty product I can pick. Rocks and paper don't help my looks at all. I've got an idea, why don't you just pick paper next time?"

James marches at them furiously, "I fell down a cliff and the two of you are playing rock-paper-scissors!?"

Jessie and Meowth turn to James with surprise. Meowth says happily, "You bet we are. Want in on the next round?"

James is taken aback. "No I do not want in on the next round! You two should have been in the balloon looking for me!"

Jessie puts her finger to her chin and thinks. "Huh…I guess we could have done that. Oh well."

Meowth suddenly realizes Ivine standing behind James. "Hey! The berry thief is back for seconds!"

Jessie shouts, "No way are you stealing anything else from us today!"

James puts his hands out. "Guys, calm down. Ivine is my friend."

Jessie and Meowth freeze up. They both ask at once, "Your friend…?"

James nods. "Yes, unlike you two, it helped me out getting back here." He turns to Ivine. "Actually, I was thinking. How would you like to join Team Rocket, Ivine? Remember all that great stuff I told you about before?"

Ivine smiles from ear to ear. It is obviously made very happy by this request. Without even thinking it leaps at James and hugs his face, smothering it in its vines.

James pulls a Pokéball off his belt and taps it against Ivine. The Pokémon is pulled in. The ball wiggles several times and then clicks. "Welcome to the team…" He trails off and suddenly shouts, "Itchy!" He begins to scratch his face, which is now red with a rash.

The Narrator laughs. _It looks like James found a new friend that's up to _scratch_. Maybe with it on their side, Team Rocket will finally relieve their _itch_ to steal Pikachu. Or maybe they'll just mess up again with another _rash_ decision. Either way, stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	54. Episode 54: The Brave and the Bold

Episode 54: The Brave and the Bold

A standoff is in progress. Ash, Brock, and Brenda on one side, Team Rocket on the other. Pikachu is contained inside a clear capsule held by Meowth while Jessie and James have Haking and Repiv out and ready for battle. Ash has sent out Dashilisk to fight, while Brock has Meteorfight, and Brenda has Rabbolt.

_It looks like our heroes are once again stuck in an all too familiar scenario. They're prepared for trouble, but are they ready to make it double?_

Ash commands, "Go Dashilisk, use Scald!"

Brock orders, "Use Meteor Mash!"

And Brenda shouts, "And you use Hidden Power!" The three Pokémon all prepare their attacks.

Jessie laughs. "There's no way we're losing this time! We've prepared!"

James nods. "Right! Haking, use Smoke Screen!" Haking covers the field in a dark smoke that obscures all vision.

The Pokémon go ahead and attack anyways, but completely miss. The smoke clears, revealing that Haking and Repiv are nowhere in sight. Brenda gasps, "Where'd they go!?"

James laughs this time. "Alright Haking, Sludge Bomb!" From above, Haking sends a barrage of its Sludge Bomb attack raining down on the three Pokémon.

Jessie then quickly orders, "And you use Poison Sting now, Repiv!" Coming out from the ground beneath their feet, Repiv attacks with a volley of poisonous stingers.

Jessie and James collectively laugh. James declares, "You have no hope. Pikachu is ours this time."

Ash shouts, "You'll never get away with this, you thieves!"

Meowth is about to make a retort when someone declares boldly, "Did somebody say thieves?"

Everyone looks towards the source of the voice with surprise. Standing heroically on the limb of a tree is some sort of ninja.

Jessie groans, "Oh great…it's Halloween again."

Brock exclaims, "It's the Guardian! The ninja superhero who helped us in Kanaveral City!"

Ash nods and has a flashback to the first time they met the Guardian. In the flashback he and the others are struggling to defeat a massive Team Rocket robot. Brenda says in desperation, "It's hopeless. This thing is unbeatable."

Suddenly a valiant voice declares, "No situation is ever hopeless, no enemy ever unbeatable!"

Everyone looks up in the direction of the voice. Standing on top of a skyscraper near the robot is a silhouette. The figure steps forward, revealing the ninja-themed superhero.

The man takes a Pokéball off his belt and throws it. "Ninjato, emerge from the shadows!" His faithful companion Ninjato appears and takes ninja pose. The Guardian commands, "Ninjato, Night Slash!" The ninja Pokémon creates two blades out of shadows and wields them in a reverse grip. It jumps into the air towards the robot. It first lands on top of the capsule that's holding Pikachu and slashes through the mechanism that's binding it. The capsule opens, and Pikachu falls out.

Ash runs forwards and catches Pikachu.

Ninjato then disappears in a burst of speed. It reappears for only a second as it slashes its sword through both kneecaps of the robot. It then disappears again, only to reappear next to the ninja.

Meowth laughs. "Ha, it looks like your attack didn't do a thing!" There is a suddenly groan from the machine. Meowth's eyes go wide. The entire robot falls down from its own weight, collapsing on the floor. Team Rocket look at each other nervously.

The ninja declares, "Now, Lunar Beam!" Ninjato disappears in another burst of speed. It reappears in front of Team Rocket. They look terrified. Ninjato gathers energy from the Moon, and sends a beam of it right at Team Rocket, causing them to fly into the sky.

The ninja then returns his Pokémon to its ball and declares, "People of Kanaveral, you are safe now! And know that you always will be, as long as I, the Guardian, am here!" He disappears into the shadows.

The flashback ends. The Guardian looks to Team Rocket and declares, "I will not tolerate thievery in my home of Tenno. You three have one chance to release that Pikachu."

James shouts, "Never! We stole this Pikachu fair and square! We're not giving it up!"

The Guardian nods. "So be it." He removes a Pokéball and throws it like a ninja star. "Greninja, emerge from the shadows!" A Greninja appears in front of Team Rocket and their Pokémon.

James shouts, "Hey, we're in the middle of something here, we really don't appreciate the interruption. Punish him for his rudeness Haking, use Sludge Bomb!" Haking attacks Greninja with globules of sludge.

The Guardian orders, "Substitute!" The Sludge Bomb hits Greninja, but in a puff of smoke Greninja is replaced by a log that falls to the ground. "Go, Ninja Arts Water Shuriken!" Greninja reappears in the sky above and sends several shurikens made of water at both Haking and Repiv. The Pokémon have no time to respond are knocked back towards their masters. "Now Greninja, Hydro Pump!" Greninja lands and then immediately attacks with a high-powered torrent of water from its mouth, hitting Team Rocket and sending them flying into the sky.

Ash shouts, "They still have Pikachu!"

The Guardian immediately orders, "Greninja, get Pikachu back with Lick!" Greninja unwraps its tongue from around its neck and whips it up towards Team Rocket.

As Team Rocket is flying away, Meowth smiles. "We may have lost, but it's not all that bad. We still have Pikachu!" He holds up the capsule triumphantly, only for Greninja's tongue wrap around it and pull it out of his hands. Meowth freezes. Without looking up, he asks in horror, "I just lost Pikachu, didn't I?"

Jessie and James both nod.

Meowth groans. "So much for that victory."

They all shout at once, "Curse you Guardian, you made us blast off again!" And they disappear from sight.

The Guardian leaps down from his tree and takes the capsule from Greninja. "Alright Greninja, Water Shuriken." Greninja uses a close-range Water Shuriken to break the capsule in half, freeing Pikachu. It runs happily back over to Ash.

Ash says, "Thanks Guardian."

The Guardian bows respectfully. "I will always be at the service of the citizens of Tenno. If ever you are in need, I will be there."

Brenda laughs. "We probably didn't need your help, but thanks anyways."

Sounding intrigued, the Guardian asks, "And why is that?"

Brock explains, "We run into those guys all the time. Normally we beat them no problem."

The Guardian nods. "I see. Nevertheless, I am pleased to be of service, even in the slightest." He recalls Greninja to its Pokéball and returns it to his belt. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must be on my-"

He is cut off by a distant cry of, "Help!"

The Guardian looks towards and declares, "A cry for help! I must answer it." He leaps off with a burst of speed into the trees.

Ash looks to Brock and Brenda and says, "Let's see if we can help!"

Brock and Brenda both nod and affirm, "Right." They all run off after him.

They emerge on the other side of the trees to see a woman being attacked by a vicious looking Pokémon covered in spikes and blades, a Slashogun. The Guardian is already there and assessing the situation. He notices they have come after him and warns, "Stay back kids, this could get dangerous." He then pulls out a Pokéball and tosses it. "Ninjato, emerge from the shadows!" The Ninjato he used in their previous encounter appears.

As soon as it does, the Slashogun suddenly stops approaching the woman, as if it senses something. It slowly turns around to see Ninjato and scowls at it with hatred. Ninjato returns an equally intense stare.

Brenda says, "Wow, those two seem to know each other…and not like the other at all."

Brock comments, "Ninjato and Slashogun are natural rivals, but I think that this goes deeper than that."

The two gaze at each other with loathing for a few more moments, and then, without warning, Slashogun leaps towards Ninjato, brandishing the blade attached to its arm and slashes at its opponent.

In the blink of an eye, Ninjato generates a blade made out of pure shadows and parries the slash. The two immediately break out into an intense swordfight, trading slashes and blows, blocking the other's attacks.

While they're fighting, the Guardian sneaks over to the woman and asks, "Are you alright ma'am?"

She nods. "I think so. Just a little frazzled."

He helps her get up. "I know that Slashogun, there's only one who could have sent it after you, do you know who this is?"

She shakes her head. "No, I have no idea why anyone would be after me, let alone who it is."

"If you don't mind me asking, who are you and what do you do?"

"My name is Mary. I'm a secretary at Global Tech."

The Guardian thinks. "Hmm…what would he want with you?"

Out of nowhere, a sinister voice declares, "Wouldn't you like know, Guardian?"

The Guardian looks around in surprise. Ash, Brock, and Brenda are also taken off guard by the voice. The Guardian shouts, "Bushido, come out and show yourself!"

The voice says, "Oh, you know me Guardian. I'm nothing like you. I'm not a coward. I don't hide in the shadows." Out from the trees walks a large a muscular man. He's dressed in heavy armor like that of a samurai.

Guardian stares defiantly at him. "Bushido, why does it not surprise me that you're showing your face again?"

"At least I show my face, unlike you, who hides behind a mask like the coward you are. Now, if you'd excuse me, I will be taking that woman now."

The Guardian pulls another Pokéball off his belt. "You know I can't allow that Bushido."

Bushido pulls a Pokéball out as well. "So be it."

Both throw their Pokéball. The Guardian sends back out his Greninja while Bushido sends out a Samurott.

Bushido commands, "Samurott, use Razor Shell!" Samurott unsheathes its shell-sword and slashes at Greninja. Greninja is already ahead of it though and is replaced by a log with its Substitute.

Guardian orders, "Lick, now!" Greninja reappears behind Samurott and whips its tongue at it, ensnaring it in the process. "It's over Bushido, my Greninja has your Samurott immobilized."

Bushido laughs malevolently. "You underestimate me Guardian. Samurott now!"

Samurott shouts, "Samurrrrrrott!" and becomes covered in a cloak of water as it uses an Aqua Jet attack. It blasts into the sky and rips out of the hold of Greninja. Before the Guardian or Greninja can react to it, it lands next to Mary and uses its horn to throw her up into the air and then land on its back. It then flees towards the woods.

It passes by Brenda, who tries to help Mary by grabbing onto Samurott to stop it, but Samurott doesn't stop and Brenda is pulled with it as it flees.

The Guardian, Ash, and Brock all move to try to go after Samurott, but Bushido orders, "Slashogun, now!" Slashogun, somewhat resentfully, leaps away from its duel with Ninjato and towards the three of them. While in the air it releases a volley of spikes from its back that on the floor before them, blocking their path. Bushido laughs. "Face it Guardian, I'll always be one step ahead of you. Now, if you'd excuse me, I must be off." He and Slashogun run after Samurott.

Ash looks to Guardian and exclaims, "He got Brenda! We have to go after him!"

Guardian nods. "And I will get her back. There is no need to fear." He pulls out another Pokéball. "Scizor, emerge from the shadows!"

A Scizor appears. "Scizor!"

"Scizor, use Razor Wind to clear out the spikes!" Scizor nods and then unleashes an intense burst of wind that rips all of the spikes out of the ground and blows them away harmlessly. The Guardian nods. "Thank you Scizor." He returns it to its Pokéball. He does the same for Greninja and Ninjato.

Brock asks, "How do we find them now?"

The Guardian gives him a thumbs up. "Leave that to me." He pulls out yet another Pokéball. "Lucario, emerge from the shadows!" A Lucario appears and awaits orders. "Lucario, I need you to use your Aura to sense where Bushido went."

Lucario nods. "Lu." It then closes its eyes and focuses. A few moments later it opens its eyes back up and points off in a direction.

The Guardian nods in approval. "Good, lead the way." Lucario runs forward and the Guardian follows. Ash and Brock also follow. The Guardian stops and looks to them. "I'm sorry kids, but this is too dangerous for you to come with me. Wait here and I'll bring your friend back."

Ash shakes his head. "No way, Brenda is our friend, and we're going to help you save here. There's no other way."

The Guardian sighs. "Fine, if you must. But I need you two to listen to whatever I say. Do you understand?"

Ash and Brock both nod and say, "Of course," at the same time. The three of them then follow Lucario off.

While they're running, Ash asks, "Guardian, who was that man?"

"His name is Bushido. He's my archenemy. He believes himself to be an honorable fighter and sees whatever he does as being right. He believes that with such conviction that he will go to no ends to enforce his will upon others as well. In the end, he has no true honor, only a false sense of it. He is the only foe I face who continues to elude justice."

Brock comments, "So for you, this isn't just about saving Brenda and that girl, it's also personal."

Guardian nods. "I suppose it is."

Ash asks, "Do you think Brenda will be okay?"

"Yes. I do. Bushido didn't want her. He has no reason to harm her. It's Mary that I'm afraid for."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**The organ that emits this Pokémon's intense psychic power is sheltered by its ears to keep power from leaking out.**

* * *

Brenda and Mary are thrown into some sort of jail cell. The door slams closed. Bushido stands on the opposite side. He looks to Brenda and says, "I don't know how you tagged along, girl, but since you seemed so eager to get here, I promise that you'll be staying now." He turns around and leaves. Two men dressed as samurai move up to the door to stand guard.

Brenda complains, "Darn, he took my Pokéballs. My Pokémon won't be able to help us escape."

Mary says with despair, "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. He wanted me. I just dragged you into this."

"Hey, don't talk that way. You've got to stay positive. We'll get out of this. I know for a fact that my friends are coming to help us right now, not to mention the Guardian. It won't be long now at all until we're free again."

Mary looks up to her with hope. "Do you really think that?"

Brenda nods with determination. "I know that."

Mary smiles. "In that case, I won't give up hope."

Brenda cheers, "That's the spirit!"

* * *

**It's Espurr!**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and the Guardian have arrived at their destination. It's a large building that looks to be some sort of fortress that resembles a high-tech version of a building from feudal Japan. The Guardian whispers, "Bushido's lair."

Ash asks, "So Brenda is in there?"

Bushido nods. "Indeed she is."

Brock points to two guards, also dressed in samurai armor, standing at the entrance. He asks, "How do you plan on getting past the guards?"

"Stealthy entries are my specialty." He looks to Lucario. "Lucario, distract the guards so we can get in, alright?"

Lucario nods in understanding. It then runs off to the side and out of sight. A few moments later a loud banging noise is heard. One of the guards points towards where the sound came from. They both run to investigate.

Once the guards are clear, the Guardian silently motions for Ash and Brock to follow him. He runs swiftly towards the door with the two of them behind him. He tries to open it, but it's locked. Without even having to think about it, the Guardian immediately pulls out another Pokéball. From it he releases an Accelgor. He whispers, "Accelgor, use Acid Spray on the lock." From its mouth Accelgor spits a small amount of acid on the side of the door. The metal of the door is eaten away by the acid and the door swings open. The Guardian recalls Accelgor.

Just at this time, Lucario returns from its distraction. The Guardian recalls it as well. The three of them now sneak inside. The Guardian shuts the door behind them. Just as he does, the two guards return to their post, appearing somewhat confused. They don't notice the broken lock.

Inside, the Guardian takes a moment to survey the surroundings. He says, "It stands to reason the prisoners would be held in lowest basement levels, so that's where we need to get to." Ash and Brock wordlessly agree. They sneak off.

* * *

The door to the jail cell swings open and Bushido steps in. Brenda shouts at him, "Hey, why don't you give me my Pokéballs back and fight me in a fair battle!"

Bushido looks to her and grins. "My, my, you are a feisty one. While it is true that my code of honor demands that I accept any challenge, what you're suggesting would barely be a challenge, so I don't think it counts." Brenda scowls at him. He ignores her and turns to Mary. "And as for you, my dear, you know something that is very important to me."

Mary steps back with fear. "What could I possibly know…? I'm just a secretary…"

Bushido grins. "Yes, and as a secretary you have access codes to get me into Global Tech's headquarters unnoticed. You will give me the access codes."

Mary looks to Brenda, who shakes her head silently. Mary then declares, "No, I won't tell you anything."

Bushido shakes his head with disapproval. "Now that's just a shame, isn't it?" He turns around to leave. Before he does, he says, "It's a shame we couldn't do this the easy way, because I am prepared to do it the hard way instead. Fear my return." He walks out and the door shuts.

* * *

The Guardian leads Ash and Brock through the lair. He does his best to make sure that they remain hidden and out sight of any guards, as well as avoiding any security cameras. He is highly stealthy and absolutely silent. Ash and Brock, on the other hand, not so much. At one point Ash nearly knocks an object off a table, which would have alerted a nearby guard to their presence, but the Guardian, with his ninja reflexes, catches it and puts it back exactly where it was. Ash breathes a silent sigh of relief.

After a little more sneaking around, they arrive at a door. The Guardian silently points at it. Ash and Brock nod in understanding. The Guardian slowly approaches the door, and then opens it ever so delicately. Once it's opened by a crack he peeks in. He looks back to Ash and Brock and nods to give an all-clear. He then opens the door all the way and ushers the two in. Once they're in, he goes in as well and closes the door behind him silently.

He says, "We should be safe in here for the time being."

Ash, after breathing a sigh of relief at being able to speak again, asks, "Why's that?"

"This is an auxiliary security room. It's shut down right now because it's not needed."

Brock realizes, "If this is a security room then we can use their surveillance systems to find Brenda and Mary."

The Guardian nods. "Exactly my plan." He steps up to a wall of monitors and turns one on. He begins to punch away at some controls. The image on the screen begins to rapidly change.

Ash points to it. "That one, there!"

The Guardian stops and looks up. Displayed on the screen are Brenda and Mary in their cell. Brenda seems to be comforting Mary. The Guardian, pleased to see this, nods. "Good, they're alright. According to this they're in level five, detention block AA-23. That's not far from here. We can make it there relatively quickly."

Ash says, "That's great."

Suddenly Guardian complains, "Oh no…"

Brock asks with worry, "What is it?"

"They're not alone, look." Into the cells walks Bushido, returned to get his information. "Things just got a lot harder. There's no way this can be a quick hit and run if Bushido is down there. In fact, the moment he sees us down there we'll be swamped with guards."

Brock suggests, "Why don't we just wait for Bushido to leave?"

The guardian shakes his head. "I'm afraid not. Mary has something that Bushido wants, and the longer we leave him down there with her, the more likely he gets what he wants. We can't allow that to happen, regardless of what he's planning."

They all stop to think. Finally Ash speaks up and declares, "Fine then, Brock and I will get them."

The Guardian is confused. "What do you mean? There's no way the two of you could take on Bushido, he's much too powerful."

"As much as I would like to test that for myself, that's not what I meant. If you really are the only one who's a match for him, and we can't have him down there, then it's obvious what we need to do. You need to reveal yourself to a guard, and when you do they'll report to Bushido that you've infiltrated his lair. He'll have no choice but to come and face you. Once he's out of the detention block, Brock and I will get in there, free Brenda and Mary, and get back out. We'll meet you outside."

The Guardian nods slowly as he thinks Ash's plan over. "Yes…that just might work." He looks to Ash and Brock. "Just make sure you realize that they will not be unguarded. You will still have guards you have to worry about."

Ash nods. "I know we can take them."

"Alright, let's do it." He points to the screen. "Watch that screen. I'll go and make the diversion. The moment Bushido leaves sight of the camera you two need to hurry there, alright?" Ash and Brock nod. "Alright. I wish you two the best of luck then." He runs out the door and leaves.

* * *

Bushido and his Slashogun approach Mary menacingly. He threatens, "Alright Mary, now to get down to business." He cracks a knuckle. Slashogun grinds its two wrist-blades together, making an intimidating screeching noise as well as sparks. "I'll give you one last chance to do this the easy way."

Mary gulps nervously. She begins to shake.

Brenda runs up to her and encourages, "Don't tell him anything Mary. You can't let him get what he wants."

Bushido angrily swats Brenda off to the side, knocking her away. "You'll remain quiet girl. You're not the one I want to speak." He turns back to Mary. "Now, about those access codes."

Mary gulps again. She nervously says, "Look…I'm just a low-level secretary…my access codes don't mean anything. They use a Watchog Security System, everything is compartmentalized. I couldn't get you in even if I wanted."

Bushido raises an eyebrow in interest at the last statement. Before he can say anything one of his minions comes running in. The minion reports, "Lord Bushido, it's the Guardian!"

Bushido turns towards him. "The Guardian?"

"Yes sir. He's been spotted on level seven."

Bushido laughs. "One doesn't simply _spot_ the Guardian. This is obviously some sort of trap. Nonetheless, if the Guardian is in my lair, then I need to go after him, honor demands it." He looks back to Mary momentarily, "I'll be back." He and the minion leave. The two guards return to their post.

Mary begins to sob. Brenda approaches her and comforts, "Hey, there's nothing to cry about. You stood your ground, you should be proud."

Mary continues to cry. He sobs, "I'm so scared Brenda. I was telling him the truth when I said it didn't matter what I told him. There's truly nothing of value I could tell him. What does he do to me when he figures that out?"

"He won't. We'll be out of here before that happens. Didn't you hear? The Guardian is here, which means my friends must be too. The three of them will get us out of here in no time."

As if on cue, Ash and Brock appear at the doorway to the room. Ash proclaims, "Don't worry, we'll get you out of there."

Brenda grins and nudges Mary. "See, told you."

One of the guards shouts, "Hey, you can't be in here!"

Ash responds, "That's our friend you have in there, and you're going to let her go!"

The other guard laughs. "We don't have to listen to you." He then pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Go Shiftry!"

The other throws a Pokéball. "Go Pangoro!" The two menacing Pokémon appear.

Ash and Brock respond in like by throwing Pokéballs, sending out Turtsol and Blissey. Ash orders, "Use Flamethrower!"

Brock orders, "Go, Egg Bomb!"

* * *

Bushido steps around a corner. He sees many of his guards just standing and watching something. Up ahead, in some sort of meditative stance, is the Guardian. Bushido demands, "You fools, what are you just standing there for!?"

One of them answers with surprise, "Lord Bushido, he's just standing there. He hasn't responded to anything."

"You good-for-nothing henchmen, that's the time you use force. Get out of my, I'll do this myself." He pushes them aside and approaches the Guardian.

The moment he does, the Guardian's eyes snap open. "Bushido, I've been waiting for you."

"As I can tell, Guardian." Bushido pulls out a Pokéball, anticipating a battle. The Guardian does the same.

The Guardian asks, "Why do you want the girl, Bushido?"

"That's for me to know, and you to never find out, Guardian." He throws his Pokéball. At the exact same moment, the Guardian throws his as well. They send out Slashogun and Ninjato.

Both order at once, "Use Night Slash!" The two Pokémon leap at each other and their swords clash.

* * *

One of the guards shouts, "Shiftry, use Razor Wind!" The Shiftry launches a volley of wind-blades at Turtsol.

Ash quickly counters, "Withdraw!" Turtsol pulls into its shell and is protected. "Now use Flamethrower!" Turtsol emerges back out and attacks with a breath of fire.

"Blow it away with Hurricane!" Shiftry whips up a large whirlwind that blows away the fire.

Brock, meanwhile, orders, "Blissey, use Strength!" Blissey glows white and then it charges at Pangoro.

"Pangoro, fight back with Arm Thrust!" The two Pokémon begin to trade rapid punches.

The other guard orders, "Shiftry, Hurricane one more time!" Shiftry launches its wind-based attack once more, this time aiming for Turtsol.

Ash gets an idea. "Turtsol, use Rapid Spin and go with the flow!" Turtsol nods in understanding. It pulls back into its shell and begins to spin around. When the whirlwind makes contact, it only serves to speed up Turtsol's rotation.

While that's happening, "Brock shouts, "Blissey, duck and show your full strength!" Blissey ducks down, avoiding an Arm Thrust, and then reaches forward, grabbing hold of Pangoro's body.

Ash and Brock both shout, "Do it know!" Blissey throws Pangoro and Turtsol hurls itself at Shiftry. Both enemy Pokémon are sent flying back towards their owners, knocking both of them down in the process, rendering all four of them unconscious.

Ash and Turtsol quickly run over to the cell. Once at its door, he looks to Turtsol and says, "Use Molten Slag to melt the lock.

"Sol!" Turtsol spits a globule of molten material on the lock, which melts right through it. The door swings open.

Brenda runs out and hugs Ash. "I knew you guys would come."

Brock urges, "Come on, we've got to get out of here as fast as we can."

Brenda and Mary both nod. On their way out, Brenda notices four Pokéballs on a table. "My Pokéballs!" She grabs them and puts them away.

* * *

Bushido orders, "Slashogun, use Shadow Claw!" Slashogun moves in to attack with its claws.

The Guardian counters, "Smokescreen, now!" Ninjato throws something to the floor and creates a field of smoke around it. Slashogun goes in one side, and out the other. The smoke clears, revealing the Ninjato has disappeared. "Double Team and Night Slash now!" Ninjato reappears behind Slashogun with multiple copies of itself manifesting and each one slashes at it. Slashogun manages to block and counterattack against most of them, but the final attack is a sneak attack from behind, which lands.

Slashogun quickly recovers. Bushido orders, "Mega Horn!" Slashogun charges at Ninjato once more, brandishing its spiked horn.

"Shadow Sneak!" Ninjato leaps into a nearby patch of shadows and then literally dissolves into it.

Bushido cautions, "Watch for its shadow, Slashogun!" Slashogun eyes around the floor. What it doesn't notice is a small shadow moving behind. Suddenly the shadow takes form and Ninjato emerges and attacks. Slashogun is prepared though, it quickly turns around and attacks with a Shadow Claw, knocking Ninjato back.

Before another attack can be launched, one of the guards from the detention cell runs into sight and shouts, "Lord Bushido, the prisoners have escaped!"

The Guardian is pleased by this. "Then that's my cue to leave. Ninjato, Smokescreen!" Ninjato cloaks itself and the Guardian in smoke. When it fades, they are both gone.

Bushido stares at the point where they just stood. A henchman asks, "Sir, should I begin the search for him before he gets too far so we can retrieve the girl?"

Bushido shakes his head. "No, let them go. That girl is of no further use to me."

"Sir?"

"I got all of the information I needed out of her." He chuckles malignly.

* * *

Back on the road where this all started, everyone has met back up. The Guardian and Ninjato bow in respect towards Ash, Brock, and Brenda. "Thank you for your help. I was wrong in trying to deny it before. If not for you, I may not have succeeded."

Mary smiles, "Yeah, thanks for saving me."

Ash grins. "No problem."

Brock asks, "So Guardian, what are you going to do now?"

"First I will make sure that Mary safely arrives home. After that I must attempt to solve the mystery of why Bushido was so intent on capturing her. I know that he's planning something bigger, and somehow she worked into those plans. If I am to stop him, I must figure out what he's planning." He pauses. "And what of you three?"

Ash answers, "First we're heading to Celes City, but after that I'm going for my next gym badge at Versal City."

The Guardian nods. "So you are on a quest for gym badges. If that is the case I wish you the best of luck on your journey."

Ash grins. "Thank you."

"Now, I must make leave. Are you ready Mary?"

Mary nods. "Yes, I'm ready."

"Good, let us be off then. Ninjato, Smokescreen!" Ninjato once again releases a cloud of smoke. When it clears moments later the Guardian, Ninjato, and Mary are gone.

Ash shakes his head in disbelief. "How does he do it?"

Brock and Brenda laugh. Brock says, "We may never know."

_There's a lot of things we may never know. One hopes that Bushido's secret plot is not one of those things. Who knows? Maybe our heroes and this superhero will encounter each other again and solve this mystery, as the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	55. Episode 55: Dawn of a New Day

Episode 55: Dawn of a New Day

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are just arriving in a new city. Despite being a decently large city, nothing about it seems too unnatural. The entire city seems to be built around the concept of harmony with nature. Plants grow all around, and everything is lush and green. Brock declares, "This is it, we're here."

_That's right, our heroes have made it to Celes City, which, unbeknownst to Brenda, is the site of the Wallace Cup, her next Pokémon Contest. Now all that remains to be seen is how Brenda will take this surprise._

Brenda excitedly says, "Alright, I say we head to the Park Zone first, it's supposed to be Celes City's main attraction."

Ash and Brock look to each other and nod in unspoken agreement. Ash then says to Brenda, "Yeah, we can do that, but first we have something to show you." He grins. "A surprise."

Brenda grins back. She says excitedly, "I love surprises!"

Ash and Brock smile at each other with self-congratulations. Brock says, "Alright then, close your eyes and we'll lead you there."

Brenda closes her eyes and then covers them with her hands. "Alright, lead the way!"

* * *

Ash says, "Alright, open your eyes."

Brenda opens her eyes to see a massive-sized contest hall. It's completely covered with decorations and people are everywhere. Her excitement instantly turns into dismay. Knowing the answer already, she cautiously asks, "Guys…what is this?"

Ash smiles. "This contest hall is the site of the next Wallace Cup."

Brock adds, "The Wallace Cup is a super special contest hosted by none other than the Contest Master Wallace himself. The winner gets the special Aqua Ribbon that can be used to enter any Grand Festival in the world. Coordinators come from all over just to compete."

Ash explains, "We saw that it was being hosted here soon and knew a good surprise like this is just what you needed to cheer up after your loss at Starside."

Brenda struggles for words, and not in a good way. "Um…well…um…"

Ash and Brock both suspectingly ask with anticipation, "Yes?"

Brenda forces it out, shouting, "I've given up on contests! I'm not a coordinator anymore!"

Ash and Brock are confused. Ash asks, "Not a coordinator anymore? What do you mean?"

She clenches her fists angrily. "I mean what I said! I've called it quits! I'm done!" She begins to cry and suddenly runs off.

Ash and Brock are completely stunned. They look to each other for a moment and then realize that they should go after Brenda. They run off too. Brock shouts, "Brenda, wait!"

It's too late though, she's already gotten lost in the crowd. Ash and Brock look around hopelessly for her.

* * *

Brenda is sitting down at a table outside a local restaurant and has her head down, sobbing into her arms.

Someone walks by and takes not of her. It's a girl, but her features aren't shown clearly. She takes the seat across from Brenda and asks, "Hey, what's wrong?"

Brenda looks up to her, but then just lowers her head and continues to cry. She sobs, "Don't worry about me."

The girl says back, "Come on, don't be like that. I bet you'll feel better if you talk about whatever it is that's got you down."

Brenda looks up again. She does her best to get herself under control and wipes the tears from her eyes. She's still crying, but not as hard. "I…I've just been having problems recently…You see…I used to be a Pokémon coordinator."

"Used to be?"

"Yeah…used to be. It was all just a joke though…a fantasy. I pretended like I was an actual coordinator, but in reality I could never measure up…I realized that at my last contest where I screwed up badly…but I never told my friends. They brought me here to surprise me with the Wallace Cup…they didn't know that I wanted nothing to do with a Pokémon Contest ever again."

"You've got to cheer up, come on. You want to know what I say when things get bad?"

Brenda looks to her. "What?"

"No need to worry, that's what I say." The girl is revealed. It's Dawn. She smiles at Brenda. "Why don't you take a walk with me? I have something to show you."

* * *

Dawn and Brenda are now walking through the city. Brenda has calmed down for the most part, though she hasn't cheered up yet. Dawn is now carrying Piplup in her arms. Dawn asks, "So, what's your name?"

Brenda forces a smile. "My name is Brenda."

"That's a nice name. My name is Dawn, and this is my partner Piplup. I'm a Pokémon coordinator too." Brenda doesn't respond well to the too statement. Dawn continues, "This will actually be the third Wallace Cup we've entered."

Brenda asks, "Really, have you won any?"

"As a matter of fact, we won the one held in Sinnoh a while back at Lake Valor." She pauses and blushes. "We also entered one in Johto, but that didn't go over too well."

Piplup scratches the back of its head and apologizes, "Pip…"

Dawn changes the subject. "Anyways, believe it or not, I think I know exactly how you feel right now Brenda."

"You do?"

She nods. "I do. You see, back when I was just starting off as a coordinator, I hit a rough patch. I went two contests in row without even making it past the Appeal Stage. After that I really had an issue with believing in myself. I started to think that there was no way I would ever win a contest again. But then I entered the Wallace Cup, and not only did I make it past the Appeal Stage, but I won it all. There was some tough competition too. I probably wouldn't have been able to go through with it if it weren't for my friends. They were great friends and made sure that I didn't give up. I think that's what your friends were trying to do by surprising you with this. They were trying to encourage you."

Brenda takes all of this to heart. "Really?"

Dawn nods. "Yes, and since they obviously care about you, it's up to you to prove both to them and yourself that you can do this."

"I don't know…I…I really don't think I'm worthy of calling myself a Pokémon coordinator."

"That's nonsense. Here, this is what I wanted to show you." She beckons to the scene before them, which is a wide open field. All across it coordinators are hard at work training with their Pokémon. "Tell me, what do you see?"

"I…I see coordinators and their Pokémon working together."

Dawn nods. "Bingo. Now, tell me this, what is it that makes those coordinators what they are in the first place? What separates them from anyone else?"

Brenda is surprised by this question. She takes a moment to think. Then she answers, "It's their dedication…they're all dedicated to working with their Pokémon and to earn ribbons. They all have a passion."

Dawn nods. "Exactly. Now as long as you are just as dedicated, just as passionate, and put in your fair share of work, there's nothing to stop you from being a coordinator."

Brenda thinks this over. She then, with some reservations, says, "There is one problem with that…you see…my problem is that I…I didn't put in the work…"

"Oh? What do you mean?"

"You see, I entered my first Pokémon Contest without an ounce of training. I had only just heard about Pokémon Contests not long before, and thought it would be fun to enter one. I just competed using my gut and I made it to the final round. I may have lost, but everyone was telling me what great natural talent I had. Then I went on to win my first ribbon, once again with absolutely zero training. At this point I thought I was invincible. But then I entered my first double performance. I had two Pokémon perform who I had never tried pairing up before. It was a complete disaster. It was then that I realized how seriously I had screwed up, and how it was just luck that had gotten me as far as I was. I realized that I didn't deserve to be a coordinator because I didn't put in the work it required."

Dawn slowly nods. "I see. Well you know what? No need to worry."

Brenda is taken aback. "What? How could you say that? You just told me that hard work is needed to be a coordinator, and I told you I don't work hard."

Dawn shakes her head. "No, I told you that hard work, as well as dedication and passion is required. I can obviously see that you're passionate and dedicated, otherwise you wouldn't be so emotional about this. And who cares if you haven't done any training before? It's never too late to start. Sure, maybe the way you acted before wasn't like how a coordinator should act, but that doesn't mean you can't redeem yourself."

Brenda is wide-eyed. "Do you really think so?"

Dawn nods with confidence. "I know so. Look, we still have a couple of days until the Wallace Cup, so why don't we start doing some training right now?"  
Brenda is uncertain. "I don't know…"

"Remember what I told you? All you need is to have confidence. Once you get confident, everything will turn out alright."

Brenda clenches a fist with determination and takes a deep breath. Then she nods. "Okay. Let's do it. Let's train."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon glides through the air without a sound as if it were sliding. It hangs on to the face of its foe using its clawed hind legs and the large pincers on its forelegs, then injects the prey with its poison barb.**

* * *

Brenda and Dawn have found an empty area to begin their training. Brenda looks to Dawn and says with uncertainty, "So…um…I've never actually done any training before…what should I do?"

Dawn stops to think. "That's a good question. I guess that's something you don't normally think about." She thinks for a moment more. "I know! Why don't you show me a performance with one of your Pokémon? Start off by just pretending you're in an actual Appeal Stage. We can work from there to develop your own training method."

Brenda nods. "Alright…let's do it." She pulls out a Pokéball and stares at it for a moment. "Alright…here goes nothing…" She takes a deep breath and tosses the Pokéball. "Kappaqua, center stage!"

Kappaqua appears. It looks around, and then looks to Brenda questioningly. "Appa?"

Brenda forces a smile and rises her fist in determination. "Kappaqua, you and I are going to do a little bit of training."

Kappaqua is utterly shocked. "Kappa appa!?"

Brenda nods. "Yes, you heard me right. We're going to train for the Wallace Cup, our next contest."

Kappaqua cheers, "Kappapapaqua!" It is obviously quite joyed by this revelation. It then stops and thinks for a moment. It smiles slyly. "Kappapaqua…"

Brenda groans. "Yes…you told me so..." She points to Dawn. "By the way, this is Dawn, she promised to help us out with our first real bit of training."

Kappaqua grins at her. It says as if to thank, "Appaqua!"

"Alright Kappaqua, let's show her what we've got. Use your Water Gun and fire it straight up into the air!" Kappaqua points it head up and fires it attack straight up. The goes up, hits its peak, and then begins to sprinkle back down in droplets like a fountain. "Great, now use Confusion and capture the drops!" Kappaqua asserts its psychic powers and suspends the various droplets in midair. The floating droplets catch the light of the Sun and begin to shimmer and sparkle. "Great, now let's finish this off! Let's bring in some movement!" Kappaqua causes the droplets to dance around each other, increasing the shimmering effect. Then it lets them go, they all fall to ground, suddenly cancelling the light show. Brenda and Kappaqua bow.

Dawn claps. "That was great. How'd you think of that trick?"

Brenda shrugs. "I just came up with it, just now."

Dawn is somewhat taken aback. "Wait, you're telling me that you didn't plan that ahead of time? It's one thing to not practice, but do you really not even come up with combinations ahead of time?"

Brenda shakes her head. "Not normally. I just do what comes naturally to me at the time. Besides, in a contest battle scenario, a preconceived plan can only mess up your chances at adapting to your opponent." She catches herself and suddenly looks disappointed in herself once more. "At least that's what I used to think…"

"Hey, let's not do that again. If you can really come up with moves like that on the spot, then that really is some great talent you've got." She pauses. "But that doesn't mean that you should neglect working on polishing your moves ahead of time. There's always room for improvement."

"There is?"

Dawn nods. "There is. For example, watching your last show, I've already come up with an idea to improve it." She looks down to Piplup. "Why don't you and I show Brenda what she could do to give her performance a better spectacle?"

Piplup nods. "Piplup." They both take positions.

Dawn looks to Brenda. "As important as moves and how you combine them are, sometimes the actual actions of your Pokémon can be just as much, if not more important. For example, initially your Water Gun attack only served to get all the drops of water into the air. Why not turn that part into its own show? Watch." She turns to Piplup. "Piplup, use Hydro Pump straight up into the air and give it a spin!"

Piplup leaps into the air and begins to spin as it uses its attack. "Piplupluplup!" The stream of water it shoots up dances around itself as Piplup spins, creating an entirely different visual show than Kappaqua's Water Gun.

Brenda claps this time. "You're right, just little tweaks like that make it look so much better."

Dawn nods. "To tell the truth, the spin is my signature technique, but it does serve to illustrate my point. Why don't you and Kappaqua give it a try?"

Brenda nods. "Let's do it." Despite saying that, she pauses and hesitates.

Dawn asks, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…I'm just thinking about how you're giving me all this help, and you don't even know me. My friends were trying to help me, but I just ran away from them."

Dawn steps closer to Brenda. "It sounds to me like you really care about your friends and they really care about you."

Brenda nods. "Yes, they're some of the best friends a girl could ask for. They've been doing their best to keep me cheered up ever since my loss. We've stuck together through thick and thin."

Dawn grins. "Aw, I used to travel with friends like that."

"Used to?"

"Yeah, recently I've been travelling alone, but back when I just started my journey I traveled with a group of friends. We all supported each other. I don't know if I would have been able to make it through my losing streak if it weren't for them."

"What happened to them?"

"We had to go our separate ways. One of them wanted to go to school and begin working towards a career, while the other needed to head off towards another region to compete in its league. I had a chance of the lifetime to do some work in the Pokémon fashion industry in Sinnoh, so I stayed behind. I've since started travelling again, but I've never had anyone to travel with since." She looks Brenda in the eyes. "Never leave your friends Brenda. A shared experience is always better than a solitary one."

Brenda nods. "I'll remember that."

Dawn grins. "Good, you better. Now, how about you try that spin technique out?" Brenda nods and they get ready to try.

Watching from atop a nearby building is Team Rocket. James rubs his eyes. "Is this déjà vu, or is that the Sinnoh Twerpette?"

Meowth nods. "That's definitely the Sinnoh Twerpette, but what's she doing in Tenno?"

Jessie says with rage, "Isn't it obvious!? It wasn't enough for her to steal the Aqua Ribbon from me once, so now she's back for seconds! So infuriating!" She gets an idea. "I know, let's put her in her place and steal her Piplup."

James is uncertain. "I don't know…what good would a measly Piplup do us?"

Meowth realizes something. "Actually, that's not a bad idea at all."

Jessie and James both ask, "It isn't?" Jessie with excitement, and James with confusion.

"Don't you remember, Sinnoh Twerpette gave that Piplup an Everstone a long while ago when it was about to Evolve into Prinplup. I'll bet you that by now it's more than ready to do a double Evolution and become an Empoleon. All we have to do is take that Everstone away."

James nods. "A perfectly poachable, proud, power-packed penguin Pokémon is a proper prize primed to pilfer and purloin."

Meowth agrees, "You said a Meowth-ful."

Jessie declares, "Let's do it."

* * *

**It's Gligar!**

* * *

Ash and Brock are still looking for Brenda. Ash calls out, "Brenda!" Obviously there's no response. Ash sighs. "I feel so bad, we sprung this on Brenda when she wasn't ready for it."

Brock comforts, "Don't say that Ash, we did what we thought would cheer her up. We had no idea she would act this way."

Ash says, "I just don't get it though. It's not like Brenda to give up on anything. She accomplishes anything she sets her mind to, so why just call it quits?"

"I think that that's the reason right there. She's used to accomplishing anything, so failing so badly at her last contest must have really had an impact on her, more so than we thought. That's the problem when you have an unmatched natural talent on something. You begin to think you're perfect, and as soon as that illusion's shattered, you fall apart."

"Poor Brenda…"

"Honestly though, it's a good thing."

Ash is suspicious. "How could this be a good thing?"

"If Brenda just kept on winning contest after contest her confidence in her natural ability would only continue to grow larger and larger. By the time she inevitably fails at something she will have been so much more confident that it would have been absolutely devastating. It's better that this happens sooner rather than later so she can learn from it ahead of time."

Ash nods. "I suppose so." He pauses and thinks. "So do you really think she'll get better then?"

Brock nods. "I'm certain of it. Contests are Brenda's passion, and it would seem like she was made to be a Pokémon coordinator. She just needs someone to remind her of that fact. Once she gets back into things, she'll not only be back to her old self, but she'll be better than ever having learned an important lesson."

Ash declares, "In that case, we've got to go find her and help her get through this." Brock nods in agreement. "Where should we look next?"

Brock thinks. "Maybe we should figure out where all the coordinators are training, that might be a good place to look."

Ash shakes his. "No, this is Brenda we're talking about."

Brock nods. "Right, and training for a contest after that last outburst is probably the last thing she'd be doing." They think about where to look next.

* * *

Brenda declares, "Alright Kappaqua, we'll do it this time, spin and use Water Gun!" Kappaqua leaps into the air and begins to spin as it attacks with a torrent of water. The water creates a spiral shape as it moves with Kappaqua's spin. Brenda cheers, "Alright, we did it!"

Dawn congratulates, "See, I told you there was no need to worry. A little bit of practice can go a long way."

Brenda pauses and thinks for a moment. She asks, "Is this how it feels to train…?" she then exclaims, "Because it feels great!"

Piplup walks up to Kappaqua and pats it on the back. "Piplup."

Before Kappaqua can respond, a net shoots out of nowhere and captures both Pokémon. It then pulls them away.

Brenda and Dawn both shout at once, "What!?"

Jessie appears, "Listen, is that the voice of an outdated Twerpette I hear?"

James also appears, "It's speaking to me obnoxiously clear!"

"On rewind!"

"Back in time!"

Meowth pops up too. "Too old, I fear!"

"Bringing this motto back into style!"

"Dashing all hope, putting you in denial!"

"A Twerpette by any other name's still a twerp!"

"When you come from the past, you know we'll usurp!"

"Jessie!"

"And it's James!"

"And Meowth, now that's a name!"

"Putting the reruns in their place!"

"We're team Rocket…!"

They all declare, "In your face!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Brenda and Dawn both exclaim at the same time, "Team Rocket!?" They look to each other and both ask at once, "Wait, you know Team Rocket?"

Jessie holds up the net containing Kappaqua and Piplup. "That would be us, and look, we not only got our future Empoleon, but also a bonus prize."

James declares, "We really are winners!'

Dawn shouts back, "Oh yeah, well all I see are a couple of losers."

James shouts, "You take that back!"

Jessie states, "We'll just have to make them." She throws a Pokéball. "Go, Buzzsaw!"

James nods in agreement and throws a Pokéball too. "Go, Ivine!" Ivine appears, but the moment it does it leaps back and grabs a hold of James' face, embracing it in an itch-inducing hug. James shouts, "Itchy!" and rips Ivine off his face. "Make them itch, not me!" He begins to scratch feverishly at his face.

Dawn comments, "Same old Team Rocket…" She looks to Brenda. "Are you ready to battle alongside me?"

Brenda nods. "You bet I am." She pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Rabbolt, center stage!"

Dawn also pulls out a Pokéball. "Buneary, spotlight!" Dawn's Buneary, wearing its signature orange coat, appears.

Jessie orders, "Buzzsaw, use Flash Cannon!"

James stops scratching and shouts, "Ivine, use Ivy Whip!" Both Pokémon launch their attacks.

Dawn and Brenda both order at once, "Bounce!" The two rabbit Pokémon leap up and over the attacks of Team Rocket's Pokémon and land on top of them, delivering a kick, they then leap back to their starting position in perfect unison.

Jessie angrily shouts, "Buzzsaw, use Night Slash!" Buzzsaw flies towards Buneary and prepares to attack with its saw.

James adds, "Ivine, go for a Giga Drain!" Ivine attacks with tendrils of green energy that's directed at Rabbolt.

Dawn counters, "Buneary, Ice Beam!" Buneary attacks with Ice Beam, which forces Buzzsaw to fall to the ground upon being hit.

Brenda counters, "Rabbolt, Hidden Power!" Rabbolt hits Ivine with several orbs of energy before the green tendrils can reach it, stopping the attack.

At this point, Ash and Brock run in. Brock shouts, "Look, there's Brenda! She's fighting Team Rocket!"

Ash asks with shock, "Is that Dawn!?"

Brenda and Dawn both see them. They both shout to Ash and Brock, "Leave this to us!" To look to each other in surprise for a moment, but return their attention to the battle.

Dawn begins, "Buneary-"

Brenda adds, "And Rabbolt-"

They both says, "Finish this with-"

Dawn commands, "Thunder Punch!"

Brenda shouts, "Shockwave!"  
Buneary jumps at Ivine and Buzzsaw. Its ears begin to spark with electricity and it "punches" with them, knocking both Pokémon back into their trainers. Then comes Rabbolt's burst of electricity in the form of a Shockwave attack. They are sent flying into the sky, leaving the net with Kappaqua and Piplup behind.

As they're flying off, Jessie complains, "That twerpette has got a lot of nerve coming all the way to Tenno just to attack me like that!"

Meowth says with annoyance, "She attacked all three of us, not just you."

James adds, "Not to mention I doubt she came here just to attack you."

Wobbuffet appears and agrees, "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie shouts, "How dare you take their side!?"

Then they all shout, "We're blasting off again!"

There's an added, "Wobba!" as they disappear from sight.

Back on the ground, Brenda and Dawn free their Pokémon. Ash runs up to Dawn and exclaims, "Dawn, what are you doing here!?"

Dawn smiles. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here for the Wallace Cup. It should be me who's asking you that question."

Ash points to Brenda. "That's our friend Brenda, she's a coordinator too. We're here for her…or at least we were…"

Dawn and Brenda both look to each other and break out laughing. Dawn asks, "Wait, so your friends we talked about were Ash and Brock?"

Brenda laughs, "They sure were. They were your friends too?"

Dawn nods. "You bet." They both laugh some more."

While they're laughing, Buneary hops up to Pikachu and bashfully greets it. Pikachu happily waves to it. "Chu!" This makes Buneary very happy.

Ash asks, "Wait, what am I missing here? How do you two know each other?" He looks to Brenda. "And why are you happy again?"

Brenda simply looks to Dawn and suggests, "Hey, let's continue that training. I've got a lot of work to put in before the Wallace Cup starts."

Dawn nods. "Sure thing, let's do it." They run off to continue their training.

Ash is stunned. "Did I just hear Brenda ask to start training?"

Brock nods. "Something tells me we missed quite a lot today."

_And indeed they did. You know what they say, it's a small world after all, and today's events only went to prove that, and two of the most unlikely coordinators became friends today. And now that she's finally training, Brenda just has to win the Wallace Cup, right? You'll just have to stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	56. Episode 56: Come What May

Episode 56: Come What May

Brenda declares, "Kappaqua, use Water Gun!"

"Kappa apa qua!" Kappaqua launches a Water Gun combined with a graceful spin, resulting in a beautiful spiral of water sent into the air.

Dawn claps. "That's it, you two are doing this perfectly now. See? Just a little bit of training goes a long way."

Brenda nods. "Yeah, you're right."

Ash and Brock are watching from the sidelines. Ash comments, "Wow, imagine that. Brenda is actually training. I never thought I would see the day."

Brock adds, "And all it took was an extremely coincidental meeting. Honestly, those two complement each other perfectly."

Ash looks up to him. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it, Dawn's biggest problem was that she would work too hard. She would spend so much time working on a combination that the spectacle of her combination became the focal point of her performance instead of her Pokémon. Also, all that work and thought she put into it ahead of time only caused her to psych herself out, giving her the nerve issues she had. Brenda, on the other hand, puts nearly no work at all ahead of time into her shows, she thinks purely in the moment. While this normally works fine, it can have disastrous consequences like we saw at Starside. Her lack of thinking ahead may keep her calm, but it also leaves her open to surprise. Those two are exact opposites. Put them together and I think they make each other better."

Ash nods. "I see what you're saying. It's like they were meant to meet up."

"Exactly."

Seeing that they're taking a break, Ash walks up to Brenda and Dawn. He says, "So Dawn, how have things been going for you?"

Dawn smiles. "Everything's been great. Piplup and I have been travelling through the Kanto Region earning ribbons there."

Ash smiles, "The Kanto Region, no kidding!"

Dawn nods. "Yeah, I actually just recently met up with the poetry guy…oops, I mean Professor Oak. He told me you were here in Tenno, but I certainly didn't expect to see you here."

Ash nods. "Yeah, who would have thought?"

"Anyways," she pulls out her ribbon case, "I have three Kanto ribbons, so this is my shot at a fourth."

Brock comes up too. "That's great, Dawn."

"To tell the truth though, I've been on a bit of a losing streak lately. Zoey, Kenny, and Nando are proving just as hard as ever to beat. I was hoping that maybe the Wallace Cup is just what I need to get out of that slump like last time."

In response to the mention of her rivals, Brock asks, "How are they all doing?"

"They're all fine. Actually Nando's nearly earned enough gym badges to enter the Indigo Conference."

Ash grins. "Great for him."

Suddenly Brenda asks, "Huh, what's this?" All around pieces of paper are falling from the sky. Training coordinators all around are picking them up and reading them.

Brock snatches one. He says, "Hey, it's a flyer. According this a new restaurant just opened up and it's offering free food to any coordinators competing in the Wallace Cup."

Brenda exclaims, "Free food! I'm starved. Let's go!"

Dawn nods in agreement. "I'm a little famished too."

Ash says, "I'm never one to turn down a meal."

* * *

And so they arrive at the site of this new restaurant. It is immediately obvious that it is extremely popular, as a large crowd of people have already gathered outside of its doors, waiting to be let in. Brenda comments, "That sure is a lot of people."

Brock states, "Think about how many coordinators enter the Wallace Cup. If this restaurant is willing to offer them all free food they must be either extremely wealthy, or extremely kind."

On cue, out of the restaurant comes the two owners. One is a blue-haired man wearing a maître d' outfit, and the other is short and dressed as a chef. The chef declares, "Welcome one and all to the grand opening of Cuisine de Roquette. We are proud to serve each and every one of you coordinators, but unlike our competitors, we serve not only you, but your Pokémon as well. In a moment my business partner here will be coming around with a bag. If you would please deposit all of your Pokéballs into the bag, we will take them to the back of the building where we have set up a one-of-a-kind Pokémon play place, where your Pokémon can play to its Poké-heart's content while you enjoy your free meal. It's one of the many perks we offer for choosing to eat here."

The blue haired one begins to make rounds, holding out a large sack. Everyone happily hands over their Pokéballs.

Brock says, "Wow, this really is a full-service restaurant. That's great."

The maître d' makes it to them. They happily hand over the Pokéballs. He looks to Ash and says in a heavy French accent, "Your Pikachu too, if you would."

Ash shakes his head. "Nah, Pikachu will eat with me."

"But I insist. Your Pikachu will be much happier in our Pokémon dedicated section."

Ash looks to Pikachu, and then back to the blue-haired man. "No thanks, we're fine."

The man grunts. "Fine, but I do believe you and your Pikachu will regret such a decision." He moves on to collect more Pokéballs.

After making his rounds, he returns to the front of the building. The chef announces, "Thank you so much for your cooperation. It is our pleasure to provide your steals– I mean meals. It is our pleasure to provide your meals. We will be opening shortly, please be patient." The two go back into the building However, once they cross the door it becomes apparent that it's not a building at all. Only a cardboard cutout of one.

The maître d' breathes a sigh of relief. Speaking in a normal voice he complains, "That accent was killing me."

The chef responds, "It was worth it though, check out all these Pokémon we just got our hands on."

The maître d' opens the sack and peeks in, seeing the countless Pokéballs. He nods in agreement. "Jessie may be too busy practicing for the Wallace Cup to join us, but we were successful nonetheless."

The chef says, "Yeah, now let's get out of here before they all catch on."

"Agreed."

Back outside, Dawn comments, "Speaking of food, you want to know what I've missed more than anything?"

Ash asks, "What?"

"Brock's cooking! I constantly have to remind myself that most coordinators aren't as lucky as I was when I was traveling with you guys."

Brock smiles. "I'll be sure you to cook you up a nice meal before you have to leave."

"It's a deal."

Of in the distance, from the front of the crowd, a girl can be heard shouting impatiently, "Hurry up, I want my food!"

The voice of a young boy says to her, "Calm down, we'll get in soon enough."

Ash and Brock look to each other in surprise. Ash asks, "Was that…?"

Brock answers, "I think it might have been." The two of them try to move toward the source of the voices. Brenda and Dawn look to each other and shrug. They follow after them.

Upon reaching the front of the crowd, Ash grins. "It is them!"

Standing in front of them is May and Max. May is wearing a new outfit. She wears a red sleeveless shirt with black frills on the bottom, white shorts with black bicycle shorts underneath, and she has swapped her bandanna for a red ribbon. Her hair has also slightly changed so that is now more detailed in its design. May complains, "If they're going to promise us food, they shouldn't make us wait."

Max responds, "Look at all the people who showed up, they probably weren't expecting so many and had to prepare more food."

May looks around, and when she does her eyes fall upon Ash and Brock. "It's Ash and Brock! Dawn too!"

Max looks around frantically. "What!? Where!?"

May runs up to them and Max follows. Ash greets, "Hey May, how's it going?"

She grins happily. "I'm great. That's so cool that you're here too."

Max greats, "Hi everyone!"

Ash gives Mas a high five. "Hey Max."

May comments, "So you must be here for Dawn, right?"

Dawn laughs. "Nope. Actually, Ash, Brock, and I went our separate ways a while ago. It's complete coincidence that we're here together."

Ash explains, "Yeah, we're actually here for Brenda." He turns to Brenda and introduces, "This is May, she's a coordinator who traveled with Brock and I in the Hoenn Region as well as during the Kanto Battle Frontier."

Max complains, "Hey, don't forget about me!"

Ash laughs. "Of course not. This is Max, he's May's brother. He traveled with us too."

Max says proudly, "As soon as I'm old enough I'm going to get a Pokémon of my own and become a trainer using all of the knowledge Ash and Brock taught me."

Ash looks back to May and says, "And this is Brenda, she's a new coordinator that we've been travelling with here in Tenno."

May and Brenda shakes hand. May says, "Nice to meet you Brenda."

Brenda responds, "The same." She looks to Ash and says, "Wow, so many old friends of yours are popping up. This is kind of fun, actually."

Brock looks to Max and asks, "Are you still practicing all of those Pokémon breeding techniques I taught you?"

Max nods excitedly. "You bet I am Brock. I take care of all of my older sister's Pokémon. She doesn't want to admit it, but she needs me, that why I'm travelling with her again."

May scoffs, "I do not need you."

Max chuckles, points at her, and whispers to Brock, "See what I mean?"

Dawn asks, "So what have you been up to lately, May?"

"We've been travelling in Sinnoh. I was inspired by the Wallace Cup to head there. Of course, Max just begged to be brought along, and my parents basically didn't give me any other choice, so here we are."

Max complains, "I did not beg."

"Did too."

"Did not."

"Did too."

Everyone else chuckles awkwardly as they watch the two argue.

Once they finish arguing, May, with a sudden change in attitude, asks, "So Ash, are you going to enter the Wallace Cup again?"

Ash smiles and thinks for a moment. "I don't know, I actually hadn't even considered the possibility yet."

Brenda asks in confusion, "Why would Ash enter the Wallace Cup? He's not a coordinator."

Dawn explains, "Last time we were all together for the Wallace Cup in Sinnoh we ended up meeting Wallace himself, and he suggested that Ash should enter."

Brenda is surprised. "Wow, I didn't know you had ever entered a contest before Ash."

Ash shrugs. "I guess it just never occurred to me to tell you."

Brenda encourages, "You should enter. It would be fun for us all to be in it."

May nods. "Yeah, and I still need to beat you after what happened at the Terracotta Contest."

Dawn adds, "And I'd love the chance to face you in a contest battle too."

Ash nods. "Alright, in that case we'll do it." He looks to Pikachu and asks excitedly, "You hear that buddy? We're going to enter the Wallace Cup!"

Pikachu smiles. "Chu!"

May looks back to the restaurant and says with sudden exasperation, "When are they going to open this restaurant? I'm hungry…" With a sudden burst of anger she turns around and walks up to the front door and begins to pound on them. "Hey, open up! We're starving out here!" Her pounding causes the entire cardboard cutout to collapse backwards. May is shocked. "Oops…"

Max shouts, "That's no restaurant!"

People suddenly begin to realize what is going on all around. Confused and angry complaints are made about how they took their Pokémon.

May says in despair, "So it wasn't a restaurant at all…? My poor tummy…" She falls to her knees.

Max nudges her. "I don't think that's what you should be complaining about. Those phony restaurant owners took all your Pokémon."

May suddenly gets up with renewed vigor. "Not only do they lie to my stomach, but they take my Pokémon!? They're going to pay for this!"

Brenda comments, "My, my, she sure does have a wide range of emotions."

Ash says, "We'll just have to track them down, come on!" They all run off to search.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon has black, cape-like fur that is very hard and decreases the amount of damage it receives.**

* * *

The group is walking through the city looking for any trace of the restauranteurs. May has her two hands up in front of her eye using her thumbs and pointer fingers to form a square and looking through it as if it were a camera lens. She narrates, "Welcome back, adventure fans one and all. It is at long last time for the return of May's Expeditions. In this episode we're on the hunt for a lot of no-good thieves. Will our team of top-rate explorers discover the path to justice? Find out." She suddenly sighs, losing her vigor. "This is hopeless."

Max agrees, "Those thieves could have gone anywhere. How are we supposed to find them?"

Ash asserts, "We just have to keep on looking, they're bound to show up eventually."

Dawn agrees, "Yeah, no need to worry."

May groans. "Tell that to my stomach…"

Brenda whispers to Brock, "She sure has a one-track mind."

Brock nods. "That's May for you, the moment she gets her mind set on something, nothing will stop her from thinking about it."

Max suddenly perks up. "Hey, I have an idea!"

May looks to him anxiously, "What? What is it?"

He pulls out a piece of technology from his pocket and activates it.

Brock remarks, "Hey, that's a PokéNav Plus!"

Max nods. "It sure is. Dad gave it to me before we left home, it's a massive upgrade to the old PokéNav."

Brock nods. "I heard it can do all sorts of things the original model couldn't."

"It sure can, and one those new features is called the DexNav."

Brock nods in understanding. "That's a great idea Max."

May asks, "Um…could you cue in those of us who have less knowledge of technology?"

Max turns to his sister and explains, "You see, the DexNav is a feature in the PokéNav Plus that's designed to help trainers track down Pokémon. It alerts you when certain Pokémon are near. So all I have to do is enter in a Pokémon, such as, let's say, Blaziken, and the DexNav will scan the area for any Blaziken. And if I turn up its sensitivity, I should be able to find Pokémon that are still in their Pokéball." He presses a couple of buttons and taps the screen of the device and a silhouette of a Blaziken appears on the screen. A few moments later and an exclamation mark appears on the screen. "I've got it! The PokéNav has located your Blaziken, May!"

May demands, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Max nods. "Alright, this way! Everyone follow me!" He runs off, keeping a close eye on the screen. Everyone follows.

* * *

**It's Herdier!**

* * *

Max points to some trees ahead. "There, according to the PokéNav there's a Blaziken just beyond those trees!"

They run forward and into the trees. On the other side they see the restauranteurs sneaking off with the sacks of Pokéballs. May shouts, "Stop right there!"

The two of them freeze up and slowly turn around to see that they've been caught.

Ash demands, "What do you think you're doing stealing all those Pokémon!?"

The two chuckle. The short one declares, "Prepare for trouble, I'm done in the kitchen!"

The blue-haired one continues, "Make it double, look who's about to pitch in!"

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

The short one throws off his clothes revealing who is. "Meowth!"

The other does the same. "James!"

"With Jessie away, it's this cat's time!"

"I'm saying this line simply to rhyme!"

Mime Jr. appears and poses like Meowth, saying, "Mime mime, mime mime!" as Meowth might speak his line normally.

May groans, "Don't tell me these clowns are still bothering you."

Ash shrugs. "What else would you expect?"

Max asks, "Hey, why are there only two of you? Did Jessie get kicked out?"

James says arrogantly, "I'll have you know that Jessie is away on very important business. And what that business might be is none of your business."

Brenda shouts, "You better give those Pokémon back, now!"

James and Meowth look to each other and break out in laughter. Meowth asks, "Or else what? You don't have any Pokémon!"

Ash declares, "I've still got one! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Meowth declares, "Oh no you don't!" He pulls out some sort of mechanical arm. "Go, Super-Mega-Grabbing Hand Mark II!" The hand extends and grabs Pikachu before it can release its attack.

Pikachu attempts to attack anyways. "Chuuuuuuuu!" The electrical surge from its attack is harmlessly dissipated by the hand.

Meowth explains, "Hate to burst your bubble, but that hand is made out of rubber, there's no way you're landing an electrical attack any time soon."

James declares, "And now that we have Pikachu, it's time to skedaddle." They turn around and begin to run away.

Ash shouts, "Pikachu!"

May declares with a fiery passion, "Oh no you don't!" She leaps at James and manages to grab a hold of his sack. She falls to the ground and loses grip and James continues to move, but she did cause a rip in the sack. Out of it roll two Pokéballs. May picks one up and realizes, "Hey, this is my Pokéball."

Brenda runs over and picks up the other. "And this one's mine!" She looks to May. "It looks like this one is up to me and you."

May nods. "Let's get them." She calls ahead, "Oh Team Rocket!"

James looks back without stopping and shouts, "You can't stop…" but trails off as he says that they both have Pokéballs.

They both throw them. May declares, "Beautifly, take the stage!"

Brenda shouts, "Glitterfly, center stage!"

May orders, "Beautifly, use Silver Wind!" The attack from Beautifly knock James and Meowth over.

James quickly gets back up and shouts angrily, "You've left us no other choice! If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you shall receive!" He throws a Pokéball and sends out Haking.

Meowth steps forward and extends his claws. "I'm in on this one two."

May orders, "Beautifly, use Silver Wind again!"

Brenda declares, "Go, Sparkling Flare!"

James orders, "Sludge Bomb Haking!"

Meowth leaps forward and shouts, "Here comes my Fury Swipes of fury!"

The Sludge Bomb and the Sparkling Flare cancel each other out while Meowth actually manages to use its claws to slice through the Silver Wind. He's now heading for Beautifly. May orders, "Catch it with Psychic!" Beautifly uses psychic powers to suspend Meowth in midair.

Meowth looks around confused for a moment. He then shouts, "Hey! Put me down!"

Brenda grins. "Gladly. Glitterfly, help Meowth down with Signal Beam!"

"Glitterererererfly!" Glitterfly fires a flashing beam of light at Meowth, who panics at the sight of the incoming attack. It hits Meowth and knocks him back into Haking.

May asks Brenda, "Are you ready to finish this off?"

Brenda nods. "I am."

May orders, "Beautifly, use Morning Sun!" Beautifly begins to glow with the soft light of the morning sun.

Brenda nods, understanding what she's setting up. "Glitterfly, use that light to power up your Solar Beam!" Glitterfly absorbs Beautifly's and charges for its attack.

Meowth slightly recovers from the attack. Sounding somewhat stunned, he puts his paw to his head and asks, "Oy vey, what hit me?" He then looks up to see Glitterfly charging its attack. "Not again!"

Too late, both May and Brenda shouts, "Go!"

"Glitterererererererfly!" Glitterfly unleashes its powered-up Solar Beam, aimed right at Meowth and Haking.

Meowth panics, but has no way to avoid the attack. It hits him and Haking, knocking them back into James at a high velocity. All three of them are then flung back into the woods behind them.

It turns out that just on the other side of those trees, Jessie, dressed as Jessileia, is practicing with Wobbuffet. She complains, "No you insolent blob, that's not how you show off my beauty!" Wobbuffet, facing towards Jessie, who has her back to the trees, points towards them and panics, "Wobba wobba wobba!"

"Oh don't be silly. Now be quite and use Counter like I told you!"

Wobbuffet sighs. "Wobba…" It reluctantly uses Counter.

Jessie nods. "Good, that's more-" But then, out of nowhere, James, Meowth and Haking come flying through the trees. They crash into Jessie, causing the three of them to impact Wobbuffet and its Counter, which redirects them, sending them flying upwards. Jessie cries out, "What is this!?"

Meowth groans. "Long story…"

James adds, "Nothing you need worry yourself about."

Jessie shouts angrily, "How is it that every time you two screw up I end up paying the price!?"

They all shout, "Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Wobbuffet sees them, still on the ground, sees them disappear with a twinkle and runs off after them shouting, "Wobbuffet!"

Back with everyone else, May and Brenda give each other a high five. May exclaims, "That was great, Brenda!"

Brenda smiles, "You too May! We made a great team."

Ash runs over to the fallen mechanical arm and rips Pikachu free. Pikachu happily leaps out and into Ash's arms.

Brock looks to the two sacks of Pokéballs on the floor. "I guess we should get all those Pokéballs back to their owners. This is going to take forever to get sorted out."

May sighs, "And I still haven't got my food…"

Brock smiles. "Don't worry, if it's food you want, I can provide that."

May perks up. "Brock's cooking!?"

Max cheers, "Oh boy!"

Dawn also cheers, "I can't wait!"

Brock and Ash each pick up a sack of Pokéballs and they all head off to return to the fake restaurant.

However, on their way Brenda notices someone. Walking by up ahead is Will. She calls out to him, "Hey Will! How's it going? Are you entering the Wallace Cup?"

Will stops and looks to her disapprovingly.

"You'll never believe this, I actually-"

Will cuts her off. "Save it for someone who cares. After what you did at Starcore, I certainly don't. In fact, I'm surprised to even see you here after that." He turns around and leaves without another word.

Brenda is absolutely stunned. She appears hurt by the statement. "Will…"

May asks, "Who was that?"

Ash explains, "That was Will, he's sort of Brenda's rival. They had a bit of a falling out, to say the least, last time they met."

Dawn looks to Brenda. "Come on, don't let him get to you. No need to worry, remember?"

Brenda removes the shock from her face and tries to compose herself. "No…I'm fine. Now I just have one more reason to win out there. I've got to prove it to him that I really do deserve to be a coordinator."

Ash encourages, "That's the spirit, Brenda."

_It looks like the Wallace Cup is turning out to be one big reunion for friends new and old. With so many friends competing in one contest and Brenda needing to prove so much, you know it's going to be one for the books, so stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	57. Episode 57: Once More With Healing!

Episode 57: Once More with Healing

A crowd has gathered, the stadium is full. In the center of the stadium is a magnificently decorated stage with a large pool of water in the center. The stadium has no roof, allowing the Sun to cast its light onto the stage.

_Surely a stage this magnificent can mean only one thing. The time of the Wallace Cup is finally upon us! There's no telling what great performances are about to be held here, so let's just watch instead._

All of a sudden, out of the pristine pool of water rises Wallace himself. As he continues to rise into the air it becomes apparent that he is standing atop his Milotic, which is also rising out of the water now. Wallace has swapped his clothes, now wearing more fashion-heavy clothing with a long green scarf. The audience immediately begins to clap for him.

Once both he and Milotic have emerged from the water, Wallace leaps up into the air and does a backflip, landing on the platform behind him. He declares, "Milotic, use Twister!"

It sings, "Milo!" Milotic summons a large twister that rises from the water.

"Inside of it and use Safeguard!" Milotic leaps into the air and lands in the center of the water twister. It then begins to glow a brilliant gold-green light. That light interplays with the swirling wall of water around it and causes an immense and brilliant shimmering effect to emanate from the twister. "And now for the finale, use Dragon Pulse!" Milotic creates an orb of green energy. That orb immediately explodes into a shockwave that rips apart the twister, sending a fine mist of water in all directions.

Having watched this breathtaking performance, the crowd all break into applause.

Wallace takes a bow. "Thank you one and all, please allow me to welcome you to the Wallace Cup!"

Then Gillian runs out onto the stage, "That's right folks, it's the time you've all been waiting for! The Wallace Cup begins now! But before we get to our first performance, allow me to introduce our judges! You know him, you love him, it's none other than Mr. Contesta!"

Mr. Contesta grins. "I am so pleased to be judging another Wallace Cup. This truly is my favorite event to judge."

"And who else could be next but the remarkable Mr. Sukizo!"

Mr. Sukizo declares, "I was going to say remarkable myself, but you beat me to it!"

"And of course, where would we be without Celes City's very own Nurse Joy!"

Nurse Joy smiles broadly. "I can't begin to tell you how happy it makes me to be given the honor of judging a Wallace Cup!"

"And last, but most certainly not least, it's the man of the hour himself! Without him this entire event would be impossible. As a special guest judge, we have Contest Master Wallace!"

Still standing next to Gillian, Wallace leaps onto Milotic's back, who transports him to the side of the stage. He then leaps into an empty judging chair and takes a seat. "I am proud to say that the Wallace Cup always brings out the best in coordinators everywhere! I expect a great show! And who knows? Maybe one of the contestants will become the next Contest Master!"

There is a massive applause. Every single person in the audience seems to be beyond excited for this event.

Backstage, Brenda, Ash, Dawn, and May all watch as the first coordinator comes onto the stage. Brenda and Dawn are wearing their normal contest outfits, Ash is wearing a tuxedo, and May is dressed in a frilly pink dress with lots of sparkles that makes her look like a popstar. Dawn is holding Piplup in her arms.

Brenda whispers to herself, "This is it…I'm actually doing this…I'm entering another contest…"

Dawn hears this muttering and tells her, "Hey, no need to worry, everything's going to be fine. With your talent plus all the training we've been doing the past couple of days you're going to do great."

Brenda nods. "Right. I just can't help but feel apprehensive about this."

May advises, "Don't let that get to you. I've been doing contests for quite a while now, and yet I still feel nervous before every one I enter, especially one as big as the Wallace Cup."

Dawn nods in agreement. "It's the same for me. You should have seen what a nervous wreck I used to be. I may not be that bad any more, but I still can't help but feel nervous. It's only natural."

Brenda responds, "Yes, I've just got to have faith that the training I did was enough."

Dawn and May both nod and say, "Exactly."

Brenda turns to Ash and asks, "What about you, how are you feeling?"

Ash grins. "I'm excited. This is nothing but for fun for me, but it's a great chance to try out battling in alternative ways. It's a perfect way to train."

Brenda chuckles. "Of course you look at it like that."

Will walks by and catches Brenda's eyes. He looks to her too. For a few tense moments the two of them just stare at each other intensely. Will then scoffs and turns away. Brenda says under her breath, "Will…" She clenches her fist and says with determination, "I will prove that I am worthy of calling myself a coordinator. Just you wait and see."

A voice over an intercom announces, "Ash Ketchum to the main stage."

Ash grins. "Looks like I'm up next."

Dawn wishes him, "Good luck."

Ash takes Pikachu and hands it to Brenda. "Stay here with Brenda, Pikachu, alright?"

Pikachu nods. "Pik."

Ash then runs out.

* * *

Gillian announces, "Our next performance comes in the form of Ash Ketchum!"

Ash runs out onto the stage as the audience claps. Ash waves to them and asks, "How's everyone doing?" He then takes his position on stage and pulls out a Pokéball. "Dashilisk, I chose you!" He throws the Pokéball and Dashilisk emerges in a spray of water from the ball's seal.

As soon as it appears, it begins to do its happy dance. "Dashi dashi dashilisk!"

"Alright Dashilisk, Extreme Speed!" Dashilisk instantly gets serious, or at least as serious as Dashilisk can get, and runs off at high speeds. It dashes across the water and begins to run in circles on it.

Gillian exclaims, "Look at that, you're seeing one of the wonders of the Pokémon world right here! It's no accident that Dashilisk is known as the Water-Walking Pokémon!"

"Alright Dashilisk, use Dragon Claw!" Dashilisk, while still running its laps, generates a field of green energy around its claws. As it runs, its dips its hand into the water, causing a wake to form behind it. The green light from the Dragon Claw can be seen glowing underneath the water. Dashilisk runs along the very edge of the pool, causing the water from its wake to splash up and spray people in the front row.

Gillian laughs. "And now it looks like those seated in our splash zone are receiving their first splash of the day."

Everyone in the front row laugh at each other.

Ash then shouts, "Okay, now use Scald, straight down!" Dashilisk leaps up into the air sprays a stream of steaming water down into the pool. The moment the hot water of the Scald and the cold water of the pool meet a large cloud of steam is created, completely cloaking Dashilisk.

"What's this? The steam created by Dashilisk's Scald heating up the pool has completely obscured it! What is Ash planning?"

To answer her, Ash declares, "Aqua Jet, let's go!" Dashilisk bursts into sight, using Aqua Jet to rise up and out of the steam. It then begins to circle around the cloud of steam as fast as it can. This causes a funnel effect and lifts the steam up and causes it to spread disperse across the stadium.

Gillian closes her eyes and rubs her cheek. "Feel that steam on the skin? Not only does it look pretty, but it's like we all get a sauna too! How great!"

The entire audience seem to be enjoying their sauna.

Dashilisk lands next to Ash and begins to dance around in triumph. Ash takes a bow.

Mr. Contesta declares, "What a wonderful performance. You and Dashilisk used the water theme of the Wallace Cup absolutely perfectly!"

Mr. Sukizo predictably says, "Absolutely remarkable!"

Nurse Joy comments, "You and Dashilisk focused on a combination of showmanship and audience interaction. How creative!"

Wallace grins. "If I had not already known that you didn't enter contests on a regular basis I would have thought for sure you were a regular. It was absolutely magnificent to see you come out of your comfort zone once again."

Up in the audience, Brock marvels, "Wow, Wallace remembers Ash from last time they met, that's pretty cool."

Max complains, "I wish I could have met Wallace…"

Backstage, Brenda says, "Wow, Ash may not be a Pokémon Coordinator, but he could have fooled me."

May states, "That's the thing about Ash. You may think he's just a one-trick pony, but he can adapt to just about anything, this only goes to prove it."

Dawn agrees, "You've got that right."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon has the habit of carrying prey and valuables in its beak and hiding them in all sorts of locations. It rides the winds and flies as if it were skating across the sky.**

* * *

Several performances later, Gillian announces, "Our next performer will be none other the Princess of Hoenn herself, give it up for May!"

May runs out on stage with the crowd cheering for her. She throws a Pokéball. "Skitty, take the stage!" A flurry of hearts emerge from the Pokéball, and out of those hearts comes Skitty.

Skitty eagerly attempts to catch several of the hearts. The audience is captivated by its cuteness immediately.

May grins, seeing that she has the audience right where she wants them. "Skitty, use Blizzard!" Skitty attacks with a powerful wind of ice and snow. The Blizzard attack first agitates the water in the pool, blowing it up into the air, and then flash freezes it. The result is a large structure made entirely of ice. "Great job Skitty, now use Assist straight up in the air!" Skitty points its paw upwards and generates an orb of white light. Out of the light comes a stream of petals.

Backstage, Brenda exclaims, "That's Petal Dance! How is Skitty using Petal Dance!?"

Ash exclaims, "That move is called Assist, it allows May's Skitty to randomly use a move known by another Pokémon she has with her. This must be Venusaur's Petal Dance."

Brenda thinks, "So she just used a completely random move without knowing what the result will be? That's risky."

Ash nods. "It sure is. I bet that's what May is counting on."

Upon seeing the Petal Dance, May thinks fast and orders, "Alright Skitty, aim it at the ice! Carve it away!" Skitty aims its attack and begins to sweep it across the ice. It is quickly carved down and given some shape by the petals.

Gillian marvels, "That may have just been a random attack, but May instantly figured out what she wanted to do with it. Something tells me we're seeing the show as its being created!"

May declares, "Alright Skitty, Assist into the air again!" Skitty aims its attack up again. This time a jet of fire is shot up.

Max cheers, "Alright, that's Blaziken's Overheat!"

May thinks fast and orders, "Alright Skitty, let's further shape that ice!" Skitty aims the attack at the ice once more, this time melting down parts here and there. The result is what seems to be a series of pathways that go up and down and twist left and right made of ice. May grins. "Perfect. Let's have one last Assist." Skitty aims up once more. This time it's a torrent of water. "Point the Hydro Pump straight down!" Skitty does so and it uses the Hydro Pump to launch itself into the air. It lands on the top of the ice structure and slides down one of the icy paths. It now begins to slide all over the place. It is seen going off jumps, going up hills, down hills, and zigzagging all around. All this time it happily cheers. It seems to be having a lot of fun. One final ramp launches it into the air and it lands next to May. She takes a bow.

The crowd applauds and Gillian announces, "What a great a performance, but don't ask me, ask our judges!"

Mr. Contesta says, "You went into this performance with a plan flexible enough to account for any bit of randomness that might have come from Skitty's Assist. That's wonderful."

Mr. Sukizo exclaims, "The way you adapted to anything was remarkable!"

Nurse Joy comments, "The fact that half of the moves you used where selected completely at random only increases the splendor of your performance."

Wallace judges, "We normally have to wait until the Battle Rounds to see how you adapt when put on the spot, but right here and now, in the Appeal Stage, you showed us that you can roll with any punch. A great showing indeed."

Gillian announces, "And there you have it!"

* * *

**It's Wingull!**

* * *

After several other performances, Gillian declares, "Our next coordinator is truly one of kind. She claims she's a princess, and who are we to argue? Give it up for Jessileia!"

Jessie literally dances out onto the stage, spinning and twirling around. She greets, "Greetings to all my wonderful fans out there, I dedicate this next work of art to you! For without you, I wouldn't be as popular!" She throws her Pokéball and out comes Repiv, surrounded by sparkles of light created by a seal. "But before we begin, I think a costume change is in order!" She throws aside her dress, revealing that she's wearing a swimsuit underneath.

Everyone in the audience is taken by surprise. They are unsure of how to react to this.

Jessie looks to Wallace and winks at him. "This is for you, Wallace darling." She blows him a kiss.

It looks like Wallace is left feeling awkward by this. He forces a grin.

Jessie then declares, "Now Repiv dear, into the water!" Repiv slithers into the pool and Jessie dives right in. The two surface together. "Now, begin!" Together the two of them begin what can only be described as a synchronized swimming act. They swim in circles around each other, Repiv's long serpentine body creating an interesting spiral effect in the process. They then both dive down underwater, disappearing from sight. Then, in a move certainly borrowing from Wallace, Jessie begins to rise out of the water, standing on the head of Repiv. She blows kisses to the audience all around her, then one special one for Wallace, and then dives back into the water. The two continue to swim and weave around each other. After a little longer of this Jessie leaps out of the water, landing back on the stage. "Now use Acid." Repiv sticks its head straight up out of the water as high as it can, and then sprays a stream of acid upwards, creating a fountain effect.

The audience begins to clap. James and Meowth, dressed as Jessileia's assistants, run out onto the stage and give Jessie a towel.

Gillian declares, "I'm willing to bet that none of you were expecting to be treated to synchronized swimming show when you came to the Wallace Cup! Were our judges?"

Mr. Contesta shakes his head. "I wasn't that's for sure. It was a truly unique way to utilize the Wallace Cup's signature water stage."

Mr. Sukizo declares, "What a remarkable show!"

Nurse Joy says, "Just as the name synchronized swimming infers, you and Repiv were perfectly in synch. It was a joy to watch you move as one."

Wallace says, "I am also proud to see coordinators come up with new and unique ways to use the water to put on a show. As a water showman myself, I certainly appreciate the display."

Jessie is ecstatic. "Oh Wallace darling, thank you so much! It is you who inspires me to be as good as I am! I wouldn't be the same flawless coordinator I am if it weren't for you!" She continues to rant on like that.

James and Meowth look to each other. Meowth silently fake gags. James nods in agreement. They them grab a hold of Jessie and drag her off stage as she continues to gush thanks and praise herself at the same time.

* * *

Now Dawn is out on the stage and ready to begin. She elegantly throws her Pokéball. "Pachirisu, spotlight!" The Pokéball explodes with a burst of color and light. From that light and color emerges Pachirisu. "Alright Pachirisu, let's give the judges a show they won't forget! Use Swift!"

Pachirisu leaps up into the air and fires a volley of stars from its tail. These stars are aimed at the pool. Upon impact they cause the water to splash up into the air.

"Quickly now, use Discharge!"

"Pachiiiiiiiiii!" Pachirisu unleashes a shockwave of electricity in all directions. Most of the tendrils of electricity are attracted to the water moving through the air and begin to conduct through that water, causing a show of electricity arcing back and forth across the constantly shifting form of the falling water.

"Just perfect! Now use Swift again!" Pachirisu sends forth another volley of high-speed stars made of light. This time they are sent in various directions. Moments later the stars begin to impact with the electrified water. The water, electricity, and stars all combine and explode into a cascade of sparkling light the gently falls to the ground.

The audience erupts in applause. Gillian commentates, "What a great show Dawn and Pachirisu have put on. It was a wonderful display of light, electricity, and water!"

Mr. Contesta agrees, "It was a short performance, but relative to its length, its spectacle was grand. Great job!"

Mr. Sukizo proclaims, "Stunningly remarkable!"

Nurse Joy says, "The gentle sparkles at the end contrasted with the more violent nature of electrified water just perfectly."

Wallace nods. "There is nothing that I can say that has not already been said. Could this be your second win at the Wallace Cup?"

Backstage, Brenda comments, "Wow, everyone is doing so well. The pressure really is on me to make my comeback, and make it right." She sighs with some anxiety.

* * *

Will is up on stage now, and his Ravenoir flies in front of him. "Ravenoir, let's do this! Wing Attack, just like we practiced!" Ravenoir flies high up into the air, up above all of the audience. Its wings begin to glow. Once it hits its apex, it does a midair backflip and goes into a nose dive heading straight down at the pool. As the pool draws closer and closer, Ravenoir refuses to budge, it continues to head straight down. Then, only inches away from crashing into the water, Ravenoir manages a skillful 90 degree turn so that it's flying just above the surface of the water. It tilts its body so that the Wing Attack slices right through it, causing a wave of water to erupt upwards and surge to the side.

Gillian marvels, "Wow! Such masterful control over its maneuvers!"

Backstage Brenda wonders aloud quietly, "Wow…is that what you can do when you train…?"

Will commands, "Back up, Ravenoir!" The moment Ravenoir hits the edge of the pool it performs another 90 degree turn, this time heading straight up. "Dark Pulse!" Ravenoir creates an orb formed from a collection of dark rings. It launches the attack up ahead of it. "Now Air Slash!" Ravenoir then flaps its wings and generates a blade of wind that is also sent up ahead of it. This attack is launched with a higher speed than the last, causing it to catch up and collide with it. The two attacks collide and explode, just as Ravenoir itself is about to collide with them, down to the second. But Ravenoir flies straight on through unharmed as a shower of shadows rains down. The crowd is captivated. Ravenoir flies back down and perches on Will's arm. There is a great applause.

Mr. Contesta declares, "That was a perfect showcase of both skill and precision."

Mr. Sukizo adds, "The amount of training you put into this display had to have been remarkable!"

Nurse Joy states, "It was simply breathtaking to watch your Ravenoir move with such precision. Great job."

Lastly, Wallace judges, "You and your Ravenoir are obviously in top condition. Let this be a lesson to aspiring coordinators everywhere, training will get you the best results. Thank you Will."

Backstage, May comments, "Wow, that Will is something else. I can see why you think so highly of him Brenda."

Brenda responds by nervously nodding her head. "Mm hm."

It is announced over the intercom, "Brenda to the main stage, you are next."

Brenda gulps. "This is it…"

Ash encourages, "Hey, you'll do great out there. I just know it."

Dawn nods in agreement. "Yeah, I know I say this a lot, but no need to worry."

Brenda wordlessly turns around and leaves. While she's walking towards the stage, she says to herself, "This is it…I'm actually doing this…I'm doing what I swore I would never do again, I'm entering a Pokémon Contest. There's no going back after this… Do I really want to do this?"

Then she looks up to see Will ahead of her. They're about to cross paths. Brenda stops. She starts to say, "Will…you and Ravenoir were great out there. I'm going up next and-"

He cuts her off, "And what? You want me to wish you luck? What you saw me do out there was because of hours of training. Undoubtedly you're going to go out there and do what you do best. Rely purely on luck. No, I won't wish you luck." He walks off.

Brenda is frozen in horror. She says to herself, "I can't do this…"

But then she hears something. It's Gillian announcing, "Our next coordinator is another Tenno Region local. She came all the way from Tenno Minor to compete here today, so let's give her one big round of applause! It's Brenda!" The crowd begins to cheer.

Suddenly Brenda is filled with a new sense of determination. "No, enough of this self-pity and weakness. I've changed. I may not have deserved to be a coordinator before, but I do now. I've put in the work, and it's time for the payoff. Yeah! Let's do this!" She runs forward and out onto the stage. She takes her position and pulls out a Pokéball. "Frostcicle, center stage!"

Frostcicle appears in flurry of snow created by the seal. It cheers, "Frost frost!"

Brenda asks, "Hey Frostcicle, want to put a smile on my face?"

Frostcicle nods. "Frost!"

"Good, then let's do this just like we practiced! Into the pool!" Frostcicle lunges forward and actually drops itself into the pool.

Gillian asks, "What's this? Frostcicle seems to have completely submerged itself into the pool! What does Brenda have planned?"

Brenda grins. She has a flashback. She and Dawn are in the process of training together. They stand next to a lake. Dawn explains, "The Wallace Cup is known for its signature water stage. A large pool will take up most of the performance stage. What you do with that pool is up to you, but using it properly is the way to win for sure."

Brenda nods. "So I want to focus on using Kappaqua then, since it's my only Water-Type."

Dawn shakes her head. "Not necessarily. Pokémon other than Water-Types can interact with water in different ways. Try to think creatively."

Brenda thinks for a moment. "I know! My Frostcicle is an Ice-Type, which should mean I can do a whole lot of different interactions with the water."

Dawn nods. "Exactly. Why don't we try to figure some of those things out right here in this lake?"

Back in the present, Brenda orders, "Frostcicle, use Aurora Beam!" Still submerged underwater, Frostcicle begins to freeze the very water around it. Within moments the entire pool is frozen with Frostcicle inside.

Gillian gasps. "Frostcicle has frozen itself within the pool! How will it do anything now!?"

Brenda is caught in another flashback. Slightly later in the training, Frostcicle has submerged itself in the lake. Brenda suggests, "Alright Frostcicle, try freezing the water around you with Aurora Beam." Frostcicle freezes the lake around it. Brenda nods in approval. "Great, now use your Crystal Beam!" But nothing happens. Brenda asks with worry, "Um…Frostcicle?" She runs up to the lake's edge to see that Frostcicle has trapped itself in the ice and is unable to do anything while frozen like this. Brenda panics. "Oh no, what do I do!? This is hopeless! I've already screwed up! There's no way I'm going to succeed in the actual contest."

Dawn comforts, "Hey, you're missing the point of training. Think about it, if you had tried this combination during the contest itself for the first time, you would have been instantly disqualified. But since we're only training now, we've got plenty of time to figure out a way to fix it. Now come on, let's get Frostcicle out of there and try something else."

The flashback skips ahead in time a little while. Still training with Frostcicle, Brenda declares, "I've got it! Frostcicle, let's try freezing the lake again, but this time spin your body around as fast as you can while you're doing it!"

Back in reality, it is revealed that underneath the ice Frostcicle is rotating at a high speed. It slows down, showing that it has created an air pocket in the ice with its spinning. Brenda orders, "Use Crystal Beam!" Frostcicle charges internal energies and then refracts it through its body, unleashing it in the form of a beam. That beam is then further refracted by the ice surrounding it. The entire surface of the frozen pool begins to sparkle with a dazzling orange light.

Backstage Dawn cheers, "Yeah, it worked! We put a lot of training into that one!"

Gillian asks, "That' a wonderful show, but how will Frostcicle ever get out of that ice?"

Brenda has yet another flashback. Dawn asks, "One last problem, how will Frostcicle ever get out of the ice?"

Brenda looks to Frostcicle's glittering ice lake. "Oh…I guess we can't have another Pokémon break it out in the middle of a performance. Hmm…hey, I know!"

In the present, Brenda declares, "Alright, let's break free with Mist!" Frostcicle exhales a breath of mist. This mist completely fills its small air pocket. Upon doing so it has nowhere to go except up, and it cracks the ice suddenly. Suddenly all of the mist created bursts out of the air pocket at once and covers the stage. Frostcicle floats out. Brenda then orders, "Absolutely perfect! Now let's finish this off with Aurora Beam once more!" Frostcicle circles around and attacks with its chromatic beam. The multispectral light of the beam is distorted by the mist around it, causing a glimmering show of light. The mist then clears and all the audience erupts in clapping.

Brock and Max give her a standing ovation. Brock says, "She really pulled it all off."

Backstage Dawn declares, "Our training perfectly prepared her for that."

Ash says, "That was something else alright."

May cheers, "Way to go, Brenda!"

Even Will can be seen looking closely at the screen.

Mr. Contesta says, "I must admit, you scared me at first when you had your Frostcicle freeze itself into that pool, but the fact that you did that and then went on to put on a spectacular light show goes to show how much work and thought you must have put into this."

Mr. Sukizo declares, "I'm so speechless, I'll just say remarkable!"

Nurse Joy comments, "You mentioned at the beginning that your Frostcicle wanted to put a smile on people's face, and I can assure you that that's what you did. There's not a face in this room that isn't smiling."

Wallace closes things up by saying, "Your performance was a truly unique one. It takes some serious dedication on both you and your Pokémon's part to perform such a show." Then, as if he knows something, he adds, "You certainly deserve to be in this contest, and I am so glad you entered."

Brenda smiles profusely upon hearing this. Seeing Brenda smile causes Frostcicle to smile too. It cheers happily, "Frost frost frost!"

Gillian announces, "And there you have it folks! That concludes our Appeals Stage! Please stay tuned while our judges deliberate over who will move on to the next round!"

* * *

Brenda arrives backstage. Not only are Ash, Dawn, and May waiting for her, but Brock and Max have also come down too. Ash exclaims, "You were great out there Brenda, no joke!"

Dawn says, "See, all that training we did really payed off, didn't it?"

Brenda smiles. "Thank you, everyone. I'm so sorry I acted the way I did. That wasn't right of me. I should have never given up. I should have figured out what was wrong and fixed it." She looks to Dawn. "And now thanks to you, I have. Thank you so much." She stops and smiles. "I have the best friends in the world."

Before anyone can say anything else, Gillian announces on the screen, "Alright, it's time to announce the results! Sixteen lucky coordinators will move on to the Battle Round, where they'll fight it out to prove that they're worthy of winning the Aqua Ribbon. Please turn your attention to the big screen!"

Faces begin to appear. Immediately Brenda's appears as the first. She jumps up in excitement. Following hers is Will's. A couple of faces later Dawn, followed by May, then Ash, and just making it in is Jessie. Other notable faces on the screen include Drew, Harley, and Zoey.

Ash cheers, "Yeah, all four of us made it to the Battle Round!"

May exclaims, "That's great! This is going to be fun!"

Max says, "I'm so excited, this is going to be great to watch, you four are going to put on such a show for sure!"

Brock nods in agreement. "I'm sure we spectators can count on that."

Dawn points to the screen. "Hey look, they've posted who's battling who."

Everyone looks. The first battle is May and Ash. Brenda is facing an unknown coordinator, and Dawn is facing Jessie.

May and Ash look to each other. Ash says, "I guess we're battling already."

May nods. "Looks like it. I can't wait!"

Ash agrees, "Neither can I."

_With the closing of the Wallace Cup's Appeal Stage, it appears that Brenda is putting a close on a chapter of her life. From this point on she's an entirely new coordinator. That's something to look forward to alright. Speaking of things to look forward to, who isn't looking forward to Ash and May's battle? It's sure to great, so stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	58. Episode 58: Cup, Up, and Away!

Episode 58: Cup, Up, and Away!

Ash and May have taken opposing sides of the stage. Separating them is a large pool of water with various platforms floating across its surface.

_That's right! The Battle Round of the Wallace Cup has only just begun, and already we get to see a match between Ash and May! Like any other time these two battle, it is sure to be a spectacle to behold. I can't wait!_

May calls out to Ash, "Hey, Ash, do you still have this?" She pulls out what is literally half of a contest ribbon.

Ash grins. "You bet I do!" From his pocket he pulls out the complementary other half.

May grins back. "It looks like we're finally getting our chance at a rematch."

Ash nods. "I couldn't be more psyched for it."

May nods. "The same with me."

Watching from backstage, Brenda asks, "I don't get it…what's up with those ribbons?"

Brock explains, "The last thing Ash and May did before going their separate ways was enter in an unofficial Pokémon Contest. They actually ended up tying, so Ash had his Sceptile slice the ribbon in half so they could share the prize."

Brenda nods. "So it serves as a symbol of a bond they share."

Brock affirms, "Exactly."

Max adds, "May always carries that ribbon with her. She calls it her good luck charm."

Gillian announces, "It's time to start the first battle of the Battle Round! Five minutes on the clock, please! And begin!"

May throws her Pokéball, "Blastoise, take the stage!" Out comes a fierce looking Blastoise.

Ash looks to Pikachu, who stands on his shoulder. "You ready for this?"

Pikachu nods. "Pik." It leaps off of Ash's shoulder and onto the ground in front of him.

Ash offers, "Go ahead and make the first move, May."

May responds, "It would be my pleasure. Blastoise, use Hydro Pump!" Blastoise attacks with two massive torrents of water, one from each of its cannons.

"Pikachu, out of the way!" Pikachu manages to quickly dodge. This costs May some minor points. "Now use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaaa chuuuuuuuu!"

"In your shell, Blastoise!" Blastoise quickly pulls itself into its shell. Pikachu's Thunderbolt hits, but seems to have no effect.

Gillian exclaims, "There you have it folks! Proof of just how tough Blastoise's shell can be! It just withstood a supper-effective attack!" Ash's points drop slightly.

May quickly orders, "Great, now use Rapid Spin!" Blastoise begins to spin at high velocities while still in its shell. It flies towards Pikachu.

"Quickly Pikachu, you've got to dodge!" But Pikachu can't move in time. Blastoise rams into and knocks Pikachu into the central pool. Ash loses more points.

"Great job Blastoise, now that Pikachu's trapped, use Flash Cannon!" Blastoise attacks with a burst of silvery light from its cannons.

"Dive down Pikachu!" Pikachu quickly recovers from the last attack and dives down underwater, causing Blastoise's attack to miss completely.

Brock comments, "Wow, it's hard to believe that big tough Blastoise Evolved from May's timid Squirtle."

Max nods in agreement. "I know, right? It was a massive turnaround in personality."

May orders, "Go after Pikachu with Rapid Spin!"

"Counter with Iron Tail!"

Sounding muffled from the water, "Chu, pika!" Pikachu swings its tail just as Blastoise is about to make impact. The two attacks collide and both Pokémon are forced back. Pikachu quickly swims up and then climbs onto a platform.

Ash encourages, "And now's a perfect time for a Thunderbolt into the water!"

"Not so fast! Use Flash Cannon again Blastoise!" From underwater Blastoise fires its cannons once more, this time aimed at the bottom of Pikachu's platform.

"Stop the attack Pikachu, get off of there!" Pikachu quickly hops to another platform, right before Blastoise destroys the one it was just standing on.

"Out of the water now Blastoise!" Blastoise leaps up onto a nearby platform as well. "Now Hydro Pump!"

Ash grins. "Pikachu, I think this is the perfect time to use that move!"

Pikachu nods in agreement. It suddenly drops to the floor and begins to spin around as it uses a Thunderbolt. A brilliant wall of spiraling electricity is created around Pikachu. When the Hydro Pump hits this wall it is diverted in all directions.

May gasps. "What's this!?"

Gillian says with awe, "What kind of move was that!? Pikachu just used an offensive move as a defensive move!" May loses a significant chunk of points.

Ash says, "I hope you're watching Dawn, you reminded me about this."

Dawn exclaims, "That's a Counter Shield!"

Brock marvels, "Wow, I haven't seen one of those since the Sinnoh League!"

Brenda asks, "What's a Counter Shield?"

Brock explains, "It's a technique that Ash came up with when he was traveling in Sinnoh. He needed to come up with a unique way to defend against a certain attack. He was inspired to this by watching Dawn in a contest."

Max is amazed. "Wow! That Ash never ceases to astound!"

Ash gets right back into the battle, "Now Pikachu, use Hallowed Lightning!"

Pikachu leaps up from the ground and begins to charge electrical energy. "Pika, pika, chuuuuuu!" It unleashes a massive shimmering orb of electricity from its body. Blastoise attempts to dodge, but is unable to do so in time. The orb makes contact with it and explodes. The moment it does a bolt of lightning comes down from the sky and strikes Blastoise. Blastoise has taken massive damage from this, and May's points also take a hit.

May doesn't let this get her down though. "Blastoise, use Ice Beam!" Blastoise manages to overcome its damage and attacks with an Ice Beam from its cannons.

"Dodge it Pikachu!" Something's wrong though. Pikachu struggles to move and becomes encased in ice.

Brenda asks, "What was that? Pikachu should have been able to dodge that attack easily."

Brock shakes his head. "Maybe normally, but a move as powerful as Hallowed Lightning comes at a cost. After using it Pikachu will be unable to move for a short amount of time, so Ash has to be careful about when he uses it."

Gillian declares, "I guess that's proof that you pay the price for the moves you use. That's going to cost Ash some points!" And so it does.

May says, "That shield of yours was impressive, and that new move powerful, but don't think that's going to stop us."

"I wouldn't even dream of it." He looks to Pikachu, whose entire body is encased in ice, with only its head free. "Pikachu, you've got to get out of there!" Pikachu struggles, but it seems hopeless.

May grins. "Blastoise, Flash Cannon!" Blastoise readies its cannons and fires.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuu!" Pikachu's Thunderbolt causes the ice to crack away, leaving a window for Pikachu to dodge. It attempts to leap to another platform, but it's not fast enough. Pikachu is hit by the edge of the Flash Cannon and is flung back into the water. Ash loses even more points. His points are very low now.

May takes advantage of the situation, "Ice Beam on the pool Blastoise!"

Ash quickly realizes what May is planning. "Get out of there Pikachu!" Pikachu scrambles to get to the nearest platform. It manages to get out of the water only moments before the Ice Beam hits the water, causing the entire pool to freeze over. Seeing what could have been its fate, Pikachu breathes a sigh of relief. Ash looks up to the timer and realizes that time is running out. "Pikachu, it's all or nothing! Use Hallowed Lightning again!"

Pikachu charges its energy once more. "Pika, pika, chuuuuu!"

May is ready this time. "Blastoise, Rapid Spin and Hydro Pump together!" Blastoise pulls into its shell and begins to spin while also attacking with Hydro Pump. The result is a swirling wall of water around it. Pikachu's attack is absorbed by the water wall.

Ash gasps. "You used a Counter Shield!?"

May smirks. "Is that what you call it? And what can I say, it's a great move. One only you could come up with, that's for sure."

"How are you feeling Pikachu?"

Pikachu gives him a thumbs up.

"We've got one last chance. Use Volt Tackle!"

"Pika pika pika pika pika pika…!"

May quickly orders, "Counter with Rapid Spin!"

The two Pokémon meet in a massive collision, both Pokémon taking damage. They are both knocked back, but land on their feet and slide across the ice a little.

Gillian announces, "And that's it! Times up!" The scoreboard is shown. May has more points than Ash, but only barely. "May will move on to the next round!"

Ash looks to May and smiles. "Congratulations May. That was a great a battle. I guess that settles that dispute."

May nods in agreement. "It was a great battle. But hey, you've got to remember that I only won because this was a contest battle. Who knows how this might have turned out in another setting?"

Ash grins. "That's a question for another time."

* * *

Brenda is battling a coordinator using a Venomoth against Brenda's Rabbolt. The opposing coordinator orders, "Venomoth, use Silver Wind!" Venomoth attacks with a gust of sparkling wind.

Brenda counters, "Rabbolt, use Shockwave!" Rabbolt's electrical attack deters the Silver Wind.

The coordinator quickly orders, "Poison Fang, Venomoth!" Venomoth flies in to try to bite Rabbolt.

Brenda grins. "Time it right and use Static Cloak!" Just as Venomoth makes physical contact with Rabbolt, Rabbolt begins to glow with electricity. Venomoth is electrocuted and forced back.

The coordinator doesn't let that stop him though. "Get back in there and use another Silver Wind!" Venomoth tries to move, but it has become paralyzed from Rabbolt's Static Cloak.

This pleases Brenda. "Perfect. Finish this off with Bounce, Rabbolt!" Rabbolt leaps into the air and plummets down towards Venomoth, which is unable to dodge due to its hindered movement. Rabbolt bounces down on top of it and knocks it to the ground.

The judges all declare a knock out. Gillian announces, "That's it! Brenda and Rabbolt win! Brenda will move on to the next round!"

Brenda exclaims excitedly, "We did it, Rabbolt! We're moving on!"

Rabbolt cheers, "Rab rabbolt!"

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

**Although this Pokémon is the very picture of elegance and beauty while swimming, it is also cruel. When it spots prey, it inserts its thin mouth into the prey's body and drains the prey of its body fluids.**

* * *

Several other battles are shown. Will and his Cryogonal defeat a coordinator using a Delphin. Zoey is shown battling with her Glameow, Drew with his Roserade, and Harley with his Cacturne.

After that montage, Gillian announces, "And the time has come for the final match of the round! It's Dawn versus Jessileia!"

Jessie objects, "That's _Princess_ Jessileia, thank you very much."

Gillian corrects herself, "Right…Dawn versus _Princess_ Jessileia! Begin the battle!"

Dawn calls out, "Hey, good luck!"

Jessie responds, "I assure you that luck will have nothing to do with my victory." She then grumbles to herself, "Fate has given me another chance to best the Sinnoh Twerpette. I'll show her who has the real skill as a coordinator."

Dawn shrugs with indifference. She throws a Pokéball. "Typhlosion, spotlight!" A mighty-looking Typhlosion appears. It roars as flames erupt out of its back.

Backstage, Ash says with excitement, "Awesome, Dawn's Quilava Evolved into a Typhlosion!"

Brenda pulls out her Pokédex. "Typhlosion?"

"Typhlosion, the Volcanic Pokémon and a Fire-Type. When this Pokémon attacks, it does so with the force of a volcano, unleashing massive fiery destruction. The angrier it gets, the hotter its flames burn. Evolves from Quilava at level 36."

Jessie, on the other hand, is not impressed. She simply pulls out her own Pokéball and throws it. "Come on out, my darling Buzzsaw!" Buzzsaw appears as well. Jessie starts the battle by ordering, "Buzzsaw darling, use Night Slash!" Buzzsaw flies in towards Typhlosion.

Dawn counters, "Typhlosion, use Flame Wheel!" Typhlosion curls itself up and covers itself in fire, then charges at the incoming Buzzsaw. Buzzsaw slashes at Typhlosion, while Typhlosion rams into it. Both Pokémon take damage and are knocked back, landing on separate platforms in the pool.

Gillian comments, "Both Pokémon may have taken a hit, but seeing as Buzzsaw is both a Bug and Steel-Type, it had to have felt that Fire-Type attack pretty badly!"

Jessie stomps her feet in anger at that statement. "Buzzsaw, use Flash Cannon!" Buzzsaw attacks with a beam of silvery light from between its mandible-saws.

"Dodge it and use Swift!" Typhlosion leaps forward and narrowly avoids the Flash Cannon by spinning on its vertical axis. As it does so it also attacks back with a barrage of stars. They hit their target and Jessie loses some points.

Ash exclaims, "Yeah, there's Dawn's famous spin! I knew she would still be using it!"

Typhlosion lands on another platform. Dawn then tells it, "Great job Typhlosion!"

Jessie, getting annoyed already, orders, "X-Scissor!" Buzzsaw activates its mandible-saws and flies in at Typhlosion once again.

Dawn declares, "Use Lava Armor!" Typhlosion's body begins to glow a fiery orange. It makes no attempt to dodge Buzzsaw, so Buzzsaw slashes at it with an X pattern.

Almost immediately Buzzsaw leaps back in pain.

Max asks, "What just happened?"

Brock explains, "That attack, Lava Armor, it covers the user in a field of heat similar in temperature to lava. Any physical contact with it will cause other Pokémon to become burned."

Brenda realizes, "So it's like a Fire-Type version of Rabbolt's Static Cloak?"

Brock nods. "Exactly."

Gillian declares, "Ouch, looks like Jessileia and Buzzsaw just flew right into that one." Jessie loses more points.

Jessie angrily orders, "Bug Buzz!" Buzzsaw creates an intense buzzing noise with its saws. Typhlosion holds its ears and cries out in pain.

This distresses Dawn. "Typhlosion! You've got to stop it with your Flame Wheel!" Typhlosion can't hear her though.

Jessie laughs. "Perfect. If the twerpette can't give commands, then her Pokémon can't do anything!" But she speaks to soon. Only a moment later Buzzsaw suddenly erupts in fire. The pain from this causes it to cease its attack.

Gillian commentates, "It looks like Buzzsaw is succumbing to that nasty burn it got from Lava Armor now!"

Dawn takes the opportunity to order, "Use Eruption!" Typhlosion turns around so that its back faces Buzzsaw. It begins to charge energy.

Jessie shouts angrily, "Hey! You do not turn your back to me! How dare you!?"

Dawn exclaims, "Do it now!" Typhlosion unleashes an intense fiery blast from its back that is sent straight at Buzzsaw. It has no chance to avoid it and is hit. Buzzsaw faints and the judges declare a knock out. Dawn cheers, "Alright!"

Jessie hangs her head in misery. "Wallace…my love…forgive me, for I have failed you…" She doesn't budge, so James and Meowth, this time joined by Wobbuffet, are forced once more to come up to the stage and drag her off.

* * *

**It's Gorebyss!**

* * *

In the backstage waiting room, Brenda, Dawn, and May all exchange high fives. Brenda says with excitement, "We all made it the next round."

May nods. "You bet we did."

Dawn says, "I can't wait for the next round now."

Ash, Brock, and Max are standing back watching them celebrate. Max says to Ash, "Sorry you didn't make it too."

Ash shrugs. "It's no big deal. Besides they're the coordinators. They're the ones who deserve to move on. I was just doing this for fun, and we sure had fun out there, didn't we Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pik."

May says to the other two, "I'm really looking forward to facing you two, so don't go losing before I can beat you."

Brenda reminds her, "Don't forget, that means you have to win another round first as well. And that won't be easy, look at who your next opponent is."

May looks to the bracket and sees herself paired up with Will.

Brenda warns, "Will is a really great coordinator. Take my word for it, it's no simple feat to beat him." This gets Brenda thinking and instantly puts her in a more somber mood. She sighs.

Dawn asks, "Brenda, I've noticed the way you've reacted to Will. What he thinks really means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

Brenda shrugs. "I don't know…I guess so…" She thinks for a moment. "He was the first coordinator I met on my journey, and the first person I ever lost against. He said something to me though, after he beat me. He told me that losing was nothing to be ashamed of because of the way I battled. He placed second in last year's Grand Festival, and yet he said that despite the fact it was my first contest that I was like a pro, and had much potential in me. I took that to heart. I wanted to achieve that potential. That's why I was devastated when he told me I had ruined it by getting arrogant and not training. Now all I want to do is prove to him that he wasn't wrong. I want to show him that I still have that potential, and I will achieve it someday."

May and Dawn both nod in understanding. May says, "I really get it. Sometimes there's just that one person you feel the need to prove yourself to, but in the process you're really just proving _yourself_ to yourself." She thinks of Drew.

Dawn adds, "And I'm sure there's no need to worry. Will wasn't wrong when he said you had potential. He'll see that again eventually. You've just got to keep on working."

Brenda nods. "You're both right. Thank you."

May gets ready to leave. "Now, why don't I go and test how strong he really is?" She begins to walk out.

Brenda wishes, "Good luck."

* * *

May and Will have now taken opposing sides of the field. May shouts, "I've heard a lot about you Will, I'm looking forward to facing you."

Will grins. "I've heard about you as well. You're making quite a reputation for yourself. This battle should be a great test of my skills."

They both pull out a Pokéball and toss it. May declares, "Munchlax, take the stage!"

Her Munchlax appears and happily declares, "Munch!"

Will shouts, "Grace the stage, Vipyre!" Out of his Pokéball appears a snake-like Pokémon. It is primarily colored red with a yellow pattern stretching across its length. A crest of flames burns from the top of its head down to its tail.

Ash comments, "That's a neat looking Pokémon." He pulls out his Pokédex.

"Vipyre, the Fire Snake Pokémon and a Fire and Poison Combo-Type. This Pokémon is known for producing a potent venom which will cause a burning sensation while also remaining toxic. Vipyre has troubles keeping its flames lit in the cold, so it must seek areas of warmth to live in. Evolves from Pyrethon at level 25."

Will takes the first move and orders, "Vipyre, go in for Fire Fang!" Vipyre lunges across the pool towards Munchlax with its mouth open and teeth covered in fire.

May quickly counters, "Munchlax, use Solar Beam!" Munchlax quickly charges energy and then attacks with a beam of light. The attack hits the incoming Vipyre and forces it to land on a platform in the middle of the pool.

Gillian points out, "Looks like May and Munchlax are taking advantage of this wonderful open stadium and the sunny weather outside!" Will loses some points.

May then says, "Alright Munchlax, let's go for it! Use Metronome!" Munchlax begins to waggle its fingers.

Gillian further commentates, "Looks like May's going for a Metronome attack, the effects of which are entirely unpredictable! This should be interesting!"

Munchlax ceases its finger shaking and suddenly its claws glow with a shadowy energy and grow longer. May shouts, "Go Munchlax!" Munchlax leaps at Vipyre.

Gillian explains, "It looks like Munchlax got Shadow Claw out of the Metronome!"

Will thinks fast and orders, "Counter with Poison Tail!" Vipyre swipes its flaming tail, now glowing purple, towards the incoming Munchlax. Claw and tail meet. Munchlax then leaps back and lands and the next platform back.

Gillian exclaims, "Looks like Will was able to think fast enough to come up to a counter to that surprise Shadow Claw!" May loses some points for that.

Will then orders, "Flame Wheel!" Vipyre coils itself up and becomes cloaked in flames. It rolls across the water towards Munchlax, leaving a vapor trail of steam behind it.

"Look at that! The heat from Vipyre's is causing the water it crosses to evaporate, leaving behind a truly unique trail of steam!" May loses some more points.

May is undeterred though. "Munchlax, use Rollout!" Munchlax curls into a ball and begins to rotate rapidly in place. Once it builds up rotational momentum, it releases itself, also rolling across the water. The two rolling Pokémon collide. After a couple of seconds of rolling into each other, they both bounce back.

Both coordinators shout, "Keep on rolling!" The two Pokémon continue to roll across the water. They circle around each other, attempting to wait for the perfect opportunity to strike. After making a couple of circles, they both abruptly turn and roll at each other. They ram into each other and bounce back again. This time both are forced out of their ball. Both land on a platform on opposing sides of the pool.

Without missing a beat, Will orders, "Wrap!" Vipyre lunges at Munchlax once more and manages to wrap around it, immobilizing it. Munchlax struggles to free itself, but to no avail. Will then adds, "Now that you have it, use Fire Fang!" Vipyre opens its mouth wide and generates fire around its fangs as it prepares to strike.

It's now May's turn to think fast. She orders, "Munchlax, get it off of you with Focus Punch!" Just as Vipyre is about to strike with its fangs, Munchlax manages to free one of its arms and deliver a powerful uppercut to Vipyre with a glowing fist. The punch is so forceful that Vipyre is ripped off of Munchlax and flung away, landing on the side of the pool. "Now Munchlax, use Metronome again!"

Munchlax waggles its fingers. "Munch lax munch lax munch lax." Everyone watches with anticipation, waiting to see what move is selected. Then Munchlax stops. At first nothing happens. This leaves people confused. Then, out of nowhere, Munchlax begins to glow with an orange energy. Then a massive orb of this energy launches from Munchlax and into the air.

Ash exclaims, "Hey, I know that move! It's Draco Meteor!"

Dawn comments, "Draco Meteor, no kidding, huh?"

Piplup, in Dawn's arms, shows some distress at seeing the move. "Pip…"

The orange orb of energy reaches its peak and then explodes into a shower of energy orbs that rain down destruction across the field. Vipyre attempts to dodge one, only to be hit by another.

Gillian exclaims, "That's right, you just saw what I saw! A Draco Meteor! Normally this super-powerful attack can only be used by Dragon-Type Pokémon, but no move is off limits as far as Metronome is concerned!" Will's points take a drastic drop. Just as this happens, time runs out. "And that's it! Time's up! The first coordinator moving on to the semifinals is May!"

May cheers, "You were great out there Munchlax! Good job!"

Will silently recalls his Pokémon. He says to the Pokéball, "You did good out there Vipyre. We were simply faced with a more powerful opponent." He walks off stage without another word.

* * *

The battles continue. Brenda and Frostcicle defeat a Rowlet in battle while Dawn and Mamoswine defeat a coordinator with a Golduck.

Backstage after their battles, the three girls all happily congratulate each other. Brenda says, "The three of us are making up four of the coordinators in the semifinals. This is great!"

May nods. "Yeah, it's going to be you and me battling next, Brenda."

Dawn adds, "And whichever one of you wins gets to face me once I defeat my opponent."

Brenda asks, "Don't you mean _if_ you defeat your opponent?"

Dawn shakes her head. "No need to worry, I'll beat them for sure."

Ash, who has silently watched until now, comments, "But when you say that is when I worry the most."

Dawn cries, "Hey!"

Before this continue, Gillian's voice can be heard from the screen. She says, "I hope you've all enjoyed the Wallace Cup so far! As I'm sure you all know, there's no way a contest as large as the Wallace Cup can all be held within a day, so please meet us here again tomorrow for the exciting semifinal round, followed by the final battle to determine the winner of the whole thing! See you then!" The screen changes to show the remaining tournament bracket, with May and Brenda paired up on one side, and Dawn facing another coordinator on the other. The three girls all look to the screen with determination.

_It's not hard to guess the thoughts running through the minds of Brenda, May, and Dawn right now. They're all thinking about nothing but winning tomorrow. With such an exciting line up in place, there's nothing you can do but to stay tuned!_

**To Be Continued…**


	59. Episode 59: The May-Dawn Voyage

Episode 59: The May-Dawn Voyage

It's sunset. Everyone has gathered in a park. Brock is busy cooking dinner while Ash. Brenda, May, and Dawn wait. Brock says, "Food will be only a little longer, why don't you guys go ahead and let out your Pokémon?"

Ash nods. "Great idea." He tosses up his Pokéballs. "Come out everyone!" Out comes Falcoknight, Dashilisk, and Turtsol.

Brenda, May, and Dawn also throw their Pokéballs as well, sending out Kappaqua, Glitterfly, Rabbolt, Frostcicle, Blaziken, Beautifly, Skitty, Venusaur, Munchlax, Blastoise, Piplup, Buneary, Pachirisu, Mamoswine, Typhlosion, and Togekiss.

Lastly Brock takes a break from cooking to send out his Blissey and Meteorfight.

Ash says to massive group of Pokémon, "Dinner will be ready soon, you can all go ahead and play while we're waiting." The Pokémon all cheer and run off to partake in various recreational activities.

_Brenda, May, and Dawn may be competing against each other in the semi-final round of the Wallace Cup, but that's not going to stop them from enjoying a nice meal together, especially when said meal is cooked by the one and only Brock!_

Pachirisu approaches Dawn and asks with its cutest possible face, "Pachi pa?"

Dawn grins. Unable to refuse she says, "Alright, you can have one Poffin, but only one. Okay?"

Pachirisu nods happily. "Pachi!" Dawn pulls out one her pink Poffins and hands it to Pachirisu. Pachirisu happily takes it and runs off to go eat it.

Ash laughs, "I see Pachirisu still loves you Poffins."

Dawn grins. "Of course, they are the best after all."

They watch as Pachirisu sits down at the base of tree and begins to nibble away at the Poffin. However, before it can get far Rabbolt leaps in out of nowhere and snatches the Poffin out of its hands. It then swiftly eats it one bite. It takes Pachirisu a moment to realize the Poffin is missing. Once it does it begins to wail.

Dawn asks, "What was that!?"

Brenda chuckles awkwardly and scratches the back of her head. "Sorry about that. I guess I should have warned you that Rabbolt doesn't like Pokémon that look like it, so it's always playing pranks on them."

Ash adds, "It never leaves Pikachu alone either."

Dawn gets up. "No need to worry." She walks over to Pachirisu and hands it another Poffin. Pachirisu instantly stops crying and begins to joyously eat it.

Meanwhile, Munchlax is watching enviously. Dawn sees it and asks, "Would you like a Poffin too, Munchlax?" She holds one out.

Munchlax happily accepts, "Munch!" It devours and smiles. "Lax!"

Max sighs, "I should probably feed Munchlax before it asks for seconds." He gets up and pulls out a Pokéblock Case. Out of it pops a few pink Pokéblock. "Eat up Munchlax!" He tosses them into the air and Munchlax leaps up and catches them in its mouth. As soon as it swallows its belly bloats up with fullness.

May grins proudly. "May's Pink Surprise is working as great as ever." She then get up.

Brenda asks, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to go and take a walk. Stretch my legs a bit before dinner. I'll be back soon."

Brock calls over, "Just make sure of that. You don't want to miss tonight's dinner."

May grins. "I wouldn't dream of it, Brock." She walks off.

Having walked some distance from the park, she spies someone off in the distance. It's Will. He's carrying his backpack and has Ravenoir perched on his shoulder. May runs over to him. "Hey Will, how's it going?"

Will turns to see her. "Oh, hi May. I was just getting ready to hit the road again. Ravenoir and I like to travel at night."

May tilts her head questioningly. "You're not going to stay and watch the rest of the Wallace Cup?"

He shrugs. "Now that I'm out, I didn't see much of a reason to stay."

"What about Brenda?"

Will frowns. "What about her?"

"You're her friend, don't you think you should stay and support her?"

Will shakes his head. "She is not my friend. I can't stand her, in fact. She's just a little girl pretending to be a coordinator. She doesn't have any commitment or care. It's insulting, honestly."

Now May shakes her head. "That's not true, and I think you know that. You're only saying it to lie to yourself."

"And why would I do that?"

"I think it's because you really do care about Brenda. You think she betrayed you, but that doesn't change the fact that you see so much potential in her, and you want to see that potential met. You tell yourself you don't care about her because you were let down by her performance at her last contest."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know Brenda cares about you too. I was talking with her earlier today about you. She really does look up to you and admire you. She strives to be as good as you are. She's ashamed that she let you down."

"If that's really the case, then she should be training." With that he turns around and begins to walk away.

"She is, you know. And you're the reason. The Wallace Cup is the first time she ever trained for anything, and it was all to impress you."

Will stops in his footsteps, but remains wordless.

"That potential you saw in her? I see it too, and I see a coordinator who will undoubtedly achieve that full potential. Look, why don't you just stick around? Watch Brenda tomorrow. I mean really _watch_ her performance. You'll be able to tell that she's put a lot of work into this, I'm certain of that. Let her prove herself to you, that's all she really wants right now. And by proving herself to you, she'll finally be able to prove herself to herself."

Without another word, Will walks off, not even looking back towards May.

May sighs. "So much for that…"

May and Will aren't the only ones out and about at this time. Sneaking around nearby is Team Rocket with Jessie dressed as Jessileia. Meowth complains, "What are we even doing sneaking around like this?"

Jessie answers, "Isn't it obvious? Just ahead is the villa where Wallace is staying during the Wallace Cup."

James says, "Oh, so we're going to take his Milotic and give it to the Boss. I like that idea."

Meowth nods, "Yeah, I'm sure the Boss would love a Milotic, in fact I can see it now." He begins to fantasize about his plan. He envisions the fantasy Giovani sitting in arm chair with an obvious look of boredom on his face. "The Boss is sitting bored one day and-"

Jessie interrupts his fantasy sequence, "No! Not at all. We're not trying to steal his Milotic at all."

James and Meowth both question at once, "We're not?"

Jessie nods. "Of course not, why would we steal the world's most talented, not to mention handsome, coordinator's star Pokémon?"

James responds with confusion, "Because we're Pokémon thieves and that's what we do…?"

Meowth suggests with confusion, "Because his Milotic could fetch us a pretty penny…?"

Jessie answers, "I don't care if it would bring pennies from heaven! We are _not_ stealing my darling Wallace's Milotic."

Meowth then says, "Alright I give. What _are_ we doing? Penny for your thoughts."

"Why, I'm going to give Wallace a show that he'll never forget. One so good that he'll realize the mistake that was made in kicking me out of the Wallace Cup. Just think about it." She picks up on Meowth's Boss Fantasy where he left off, only replacing the bored cartoon of Giovani with a bored cartoon of Wallace. "Wallace is in his villa right now, sitting around all bored. He's thinking about how none of the coordinators left in the Wallace Cup are worth winning a contest that bears his name. But then that's where I come in!" Fantasy Jessileia leaps into the picture with her Repiv. The two put on some sort of unusual dance routine. Fantasy Wallace instantly perks up and begins to clap. "We give Wallace such a show that he'll say," then, in her best, which means not so good, impersonation of Wallace, she says, "Oh lovely Jessileia, what a wonderful show you have put on! Forget the Wallace Cup, here, take this Aqua Ribbon. You deserve not only it, but my heart as well!" The fantasy ends.

James and Meowth silently stare at each other, both thinking the same thing.

Then Wobbuffet appears and declares, "Wobbuffet!"

Jessie nods. "Yes, it is a great plan. Thank you Wobbuffet." She sees the looks being given by James and Meowth. She demands, "Hey! What's that look!?"

Meowth and James step back in fright. Meowth attempts to soothe Jessie, "Oh…nothing…it's nothing at all."

James adds, "Yeah, it was just…it was admiring your plan…and um…trying to envision what a wonderful show you'll put on for Wallace."

Jessie nods with satisfaction. "I thought so. Now let's go." She confidently strolls out of their hiding spot and into the open, approaching a nearby house that is apparently Wallace's villa.

However, the moment she does so someone shouts, "Hey, you! This area is off limits to the public!"

Jessie laughs. "Oh don't worry about me, Wallace is expecting me."

Meowth and James look to each other again. They both sigh and resentfully walk out with Jessie.

Into view runs a guard and his Arcanine. He shouts, "No he isn't. Leave now, or I'm authorized to use force."

Jessie laughs again. "I've got a date with destiny, there's no way you're getting me to leave."

The guard has had it. He orders, "Arcanine, use Flare Blitz!" The Arcanine charges at Team Rocket while cloaked in fire. It rams into them and sends them flying.

Jessie cries out in despair, "Wallace my darling, no!"

James and Meowth sigh again.

They all say at once, Jessie shouting in despair, and James and Meowth groaning, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Wobbuffet adds a drawn out, "Wobbuffet!" as they disappear into the sky.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**It can manipulate an opponent's memory. Apparently, it communicates by flashing its three different-colored fingers.**

* * *

Gillian announces, "Thanks for waiting, folks! I am pleased to announce that the Wallace Cup is ready to swing back into action!" The contest hall is once again filled to the brim with spectators. On either side of the water-based battlefield stands May and Brenda. Gillian continues, "But before we get this first semifinal battle out of the way, how about a word from the Contest Master himself?"

Wallace stands up from his seat and announces, "With how magnificent yesterday's performances were, I can't imagine them getting any better, and yet here in the semifinal round you just know that things are about to be taken to a whole new level. I, for one, cannot wait to see the displays of beauty and showmanship that the remaining four coordinators have in store for us! Please, by all means, let's get this show moving!" The audience all applaud, including Ash, Brock, and Max who have moved back to normal audience seating.

Gillian then says, "Alright, you heard the man, let's start this thing!"

Brenda and May both pull out a Pokéball. Brenda tosses hers first. "Glitterfly, center stage!"

May throws hers and declares, "Blaziken, take the stage!"

Ash says, "Wow, Brenda versus May. This is going to be a great show."

Max says, "Of course, my sister is going to win it."

Brock responds, "I don't know. May might have more experience than Brenda, but Brenda is full of surprises. Now that she's actually started training I'm not sure that anything can stop her. One thing's for sure, this will be an intense battle."

Gillian announces, "Five minutes on the clock! Begin!"

May doesn't waste a second and orders, "Blaziken, use Blaze Kick!" With its foot alit with fire, Blaziken leaps across the pool towards Glitterfly.

Brenda gets right into action as well. "Stun it with Flash, Glitterfly!" Glitterfly spreads its wings and momentarily creates a bright flash of light with them. Blaziken is forced to close its eyes, causing it to veer off course.

Gillian comments, "Looks like that brilliant flash of light from Glitterfly was too much for Blaziken to handle, it's been thrown completely off course!" Blaziken lands off to Glitterfly's right and looks around in an attempt to gain its bearings after the disorienting Flash.

Brenda takes advantage of situation, "Great, now use Sparkling Flare!" Glitterfly begins to flap its wings rapidly as it generates an aura of light energy around it.

"Glitterererererfly!" It unleashes the light in a sparkling attack aimed right at Blaziken.

Blaziken regains its sight just as this attack is about to hit, giving it just enough time to leap up and out of the way. May cheers, "Great job Blaziken, now use Sky Uppercut!" Blaziken lands on the ground and immediately begins to run at Glitterfly.

Brenda orders, "Up in the air Glitterfly!" Glitterfly flies up to avoid being hit.

May grins with amusement. "Your mistake, Brenda."

Brenda asks in surprise, "What?"

Blaziken gets below Glitterfly and then leaps up with glowing white claws, delivering a powerful uppercut to Glitterfly, knocking it out of the air, causing it to land on one of the platforms in the middle of the pool.

May says, "Great job Blaziken, now attack with Overheat!" Blaziken unleashes a powerful blast of heated fire from its mouth aimed directly at the fallen Glitterfly.

Gillian points out, "With a move as powerful as Overheat being super-effective against Glitterfly, it's going to be difficult for it to recover if this move makes contact!"

Brenda gets anxious and orders, "Quickly Glitterfly, counter with Solar Beam!" Just in the nick of time Glitterfly manages to get up and quickly charge its beam due to the bright sunlight. Its Solar Beam then collides with Blaziken's Overheat. The two moves cause a dazzling display of light as they collide and fight for supremacy. Brenda and May stare at each other intensely. Neither give way. Then Brenda gets an idea. "Glitterfly, don't stop using Solar Beam, but also use Flash!" Glitterfly does as its told and produces another stunningly bright flash of light. This sudden attack catches Blaziken off-guard and stuns it for just long enough for Glitterfly's Solar Beam to win out and hit Blaziken.

Blaziken shouts with pain, "Blaziken!"

Gillian declares, "Some quick thinking on Brenda's part just turned that situation around. That's going to cost May some points for sure!" And it does, as May's points drop by a descent chunk.

May doesn't let that get to her though. She shouts, "Blaziken, go for your Blaze Kick again!" Blaziken quickly recovers and leaps at Glitterfly.

Brenda grins arrogantly. "Didn't you learn anything from last time? Use Flash Glitterfly!" Glitterfly creates another Flash of light, but this time it has no effect on Blaziken. It lands on the platform in front of Glitterfly and delivers a fiery kick, knocking Glitterfly to the other side of the pool. Brenda says with shock, "But how!?"

May grins. "Blaziken and I did learn, Brenda. Once Blaziken had itself aimed at Glitterfly it was able to close its eyes so that your Flash attack wouldn't effect it." Brenda's points drop. Both Brenda and May are getting low on points now, but are roughly tied. May then orders, "Let's follow that up another Sky Uppercut!" Blaziken begins to move towards Glitterfly by hopping from platform to platform.

Brenda suggests, "Deter it with Signal Beam!" Glitterfly begins to attack with a beam of colorful light.

May is ready for this, though. "Oh no you don't. Counter with Flamethrower, Blaziken!" With each beam of light from Glitterfly, Blaziken cancels it with a breath of fire. It continues to make its way towards Glitterfly.

Brenda thinks, _Oh no, I can't stop it! Glitterfly is getting weak, if this attack makes contact it might be all over, and Glitterfly can't dodge Sky Uppercut. I need to block Blaziken some other way… _Then inspiration comes to her. Just as Blaziken is nearing, Brenda declares, "Glitterfly, attack the pool with Sparkling Flare!" Glitterfly does so on the section of pool right beneath where Blaziken is jumping. The water splashes up forcefully and actually knocks Blaziken backwards.

Blaziken lands on a nearby platform. May quickly orders, "Overheat!"

Brenda just as quickly counters, "Solar Beam!" The two powerful attacks collide once more, this time causing an explosion that knocks both Pokémon backwards.

Both May and Brenda are just about to order another attack when Gillian announces, "That's it! This battle is over!" Everyone looks to the scoreboard with surprise. Brenda has only a sliver of points left, May has none. "In this incredibly close match, Brenda and Glitterfly have just barely edged out May and Blaziken! They'll be moving on to the final round!"

Everyone claps for Brenda. Ash cheers, "Great job Brenda!"

Max says in disbelief, "What!? May lost!"

May smiles and says to Brenda, who is celebrating with Glitterfly, "That was an excellent battle Brenda. You and Glitterfly were stunning out there.

Brenda smiles back. "You and Blaziken make quite the team as well."

* * *

**It's Beheeyem!**

* * *

Dawn and Mamoswine are locked in the middle of a battle with a coordinator using a Delphin. Dawn orders, "Mamoswine, use Ancient Power!"

"Mamo!" Mamoswine glows a brilliant white as it charges energy. It then releases all of the energy in a concentrated orb fired at Delphin.

The opponent orders, "Underwater, Delphin!" Delphin dives down into the pool, avoiding the attack.

Dawn grins. "Alright Mamoswine, Ice Shard!" Mamoswine gathers cold air between its tusks, creating a ball of ice, which it launches at the water, freezing the entire surface of the pool.

Gillian declares, "Looks like this might be it for Delphin! It can't fight if it's trapped beneath ice!"

The opponent states, "Don't count us out yet! Use Scald, Delphin!" An eruption of steam water is shot from Delphin's blowhole, melting right through the ice and then hitting Mamoswine. "Now throw in a Hyper Voice!" Delphin pokes its head above the water and emits a loud hypersonic chatter. Mamoswine cries out in pain.

Dawn encourages, "Come on Mamoswine, you've got to fight through it! Ignore it and use Take Down!"

Mamoswine grunts, "Mamo…" in response. It then begins to run towards the pool where Delphin swims and is cloaked in a white light.

The opponent asks in confusion, "Huh? What is she doing? Mamoswine's Take Down won't do anything to Delphin while it's in the water."

"Do it Mamoswine!" Mamoswine gets to the edge of the pool and then stops for a moment before actually leaping into the air, and then falling down towards Delphin. Delphin looks up with wide eyes. It tries to swim away quickly, but it can't in time. Mamoswine lands on the water in a massive belly flop, causing a large wave splash out in all directions, cracking up the remaining ice sheet. Delphin floats up to the surface knocked out. The judges declare it unable to battle. Dawn cheers, "All right!" Mamoswine swims to the side of the pool and gets out. Once up on land it shakes it body to dry off.

Brenda watches this from backstage with Kappaqua at her side. She says, "That's it, then. We're facing Dawn in the finals. She's been nothing but a help to us, and now we've got to beat her. Are you ready, Kappaqua?"

Kappaqua nods. "Kap."

Brenda grins. "So am I."

* * *

And so, Brenda and Dawn both take their positions on either side of the stage. Both stand ready with determination. Gillian announces, "This is it! The final match of the Wallace Cup is upon us! Whoever wins this battle will be awarded the beautiful Aqua Ribbon, able to be used for entry into any Grand Festival, anywhere in the world!" She looks to Wallace and asks, "Would you do the honor, Wallace?"

Wallace nods and stands up. "I have been pleased immensely watching the two of you climb the ranks in my tournament. Either one of you could easily become the next Contest Master, and I don't say that lightly! Now, without further ado, begin the battle!"

Brenda throws her Pokéball. "Kappaqua, center stage!"

Dawn also throws a Pokéball. "Piplup, spotlight!" The respective water starter Pokémon appear on the stage.

Brenda immediately orders, "Water Gun!"

At the same time, Dawn orders, "Bubble Beam!"

"Kappapapaqua!"

"Piplupluplup!" The two water attacks collide and cancel.

Not missing a beat, Brenda changes her strategy to, "Aqua Bomb, now!" Kappaqua hurls an orb of water at Piplup.

"Use Peck, Piplup!" Piplup leaps into the air, its beak begins to glow and it grows longer, and it heads straight towards Kappaqua. With a spinning Peck, it actually pierces right through the Aqua Bomb, coming out the other side and causing it to explode behind it. This catches both Brenda and Kappaqua off guard. Piplup then lands its attack on Kappaqua. "Now use Whirlpool!"

"Piiiiipluuup!" Piplup creates a massive whirlpool that captures Kappaqua.

Brenda shouts, "Kappaqua, no!"

Gillian exclaims, "Looks like Piplup's got Kappaqua trapped in a mighty powerful Whirlpool attack! This is going to be hard to get out of for sure!"

Brenda thinks in panic, _Oh no! What do I do!? _She clenches her fists. _No, I've got to keep control. I can handle this. I've just got to remember my training…my training! That's it! _She then orders, "Kappaqua, use Confusion, just like we did at the lake!"

Kappaqua, who was panicking and trying to fight against the water, suddenly calms down as it realizes what Brenda is referring to. It then allows itself to fall into the center of the whirlpool. Once there, it unleashes its psychic powers. It literally rips the whirlpool apart and sends water splashing everywhere. Kappaqua lands in the pool.

Ash, Brock, May, and Max watch from the audience. Buneary is also there, dressed as a cheerleader to cheer on Dawn. Ash cheers, "That was some quick thinking on Brenda's part!"

Brock says, "I remember, she was trying something similar to that using the water in the lake they were training at before. Looks like she was able to adapt her training to this battle, that's great!"

May says to herself, "Now if only Will could see this…"

Dawn gets ready for her next move and orders, "Into the pool as well, Piplup!" Piplup leaps into the pool, so now both Pokémon are swimming.

Brenda commands, "Rapid fire Aqua Bomb, Kappaqua!" Kappaqua begins to generate orb after orb of water and throws each one of them towards Piplup.

"Peck, Piplup!" Piplup enlarges its beak and begins to swim towards Kappaqua at high speeds, weaving around the Aqua Bomb barrage. This constant dodging causes Brenda's points to lower slowly but steadily.

In a last-ditch effort to stop Piplup's approach, Brenda orders, "Water Gun!" Kappaqua attacks with a spray of water directly at Piplup. However, Piplup easily dodges to the side and then strikes Kappaqua from an angle. This hit knocks Kappaqua towards the center of the pool. Brenda's points drop some more.

Dawn rolls right into her next move and orders, "Alright Piplup, Whirlpool!" Piplup dives further down into the water and then begins its attack.

Ash marvels, "Wow, I've never seen Whirlpool used underwater before!"

The result is that the entire pool gets turned into a raging whirlpool. Kappaqua and the floating platforms begins to be thrown around in the intense current. Dawn grins. "There's no way you're stopping this one with your Confusion!"

Gillian seems to agree. "Dawn has turned the entire water stage into one rampant whirlpool! Things aren't looking too good for Brenda and Kappaqua right now!" Brenda's points lower.

Brenda grimaces. "Kappaqua, you've got to get out of there!" Kappaqua puts in an intense effort to free itself from the current, but it is to no avail. "Kappaqua!"

Dawn now takes advantage of the situation. "Piplup, let's attack with style! Hydro Pump!" Piplup, who was surfing on a platform being carried by the current, leaps into the air with a somersault. Just as it's over the point containing Kappaqua it attacks with a large torrent of water. The attack hits and Piplup lands on another platform. Brenda's points drop. "Again Piplup!" Piplup repeats its action once more, landing another hit on Kappaqua and further lowering Brenda's points.

Gillian exclaims, "There's nothing Kappaqua can do but fall victim to Piplup's barrage of attacks as it's hopelessly trapped in the vortex!"

Piplup launches yet another attack. Kappaqua is beginning to appear fatigued from the combination of trying to fight the current and Piplup's attacks, and Brenda's points have almost ran out.

Brenda shouts out with utter determination, "Kappaqua! I know you can get out of this! I just know it! You and I trained so hard! We can't let it end like this, we just can't!"

These words seem to resonate with Kappaqua. A look of sheer determination and willpower crosses its face. "Kappapapaquaaaaaaa!" It begins to glow. A transformation begins.

Brenda gasps. "No way…"

Dawn asks in surprise, "Is that…!?"

Gillian says with equal surprise, "What? Kappaqua is evolving!" The entire audience gasps.

The light around Kappaqua ceases, revealing its new form. It has not only grown larger, but its limbs are now proportionately longer as well. Also notable is that the fin on its head is more prominent, and now goes down its neck and onto its back. Its eyes begin to glow purple and it shouts, "Kapapapaqueous!" The entire whirlpool freezes in place. This sudden cessation of movement cause Piplup to fall off of the platform it was surfing and into the water. After a moment of charging its energy, the new Pokémon unleashes an intense shockwave of psychic energy through the water. This shockwave impacts Piplup with a heavy hit.

Ash, mostly speechless, manages to says, "Wow…" He pulls out his Pokédex.

"Kappaqueous, the Psychic Kappa Pokémon and Water and Psychic Combo-Type. This Pokémon is known for its ability to finely manipulate water with its psychic powers. It has been known to have a mischievous nature and use this ability to play tricks on those who get too close to its river home. Evolves from Kappaqua at level 16 and into Kappaquarius at level 36."

With the stun wearing off, Gillian explains, "What you just saw was a fine example of Kappaqueous' signature move, Hydroshock! It uses its hydrokinetic abilities to deliver shockwave of pure kinetic energy through water! What a sight!" Dawn loses a significant chunk of points.

Dawn congratulates, "Wow Brenda, Kappaqua just evolved to help you out! That's great!"

Brenda, only just realizing what's going on, nods. "Yeah…it is." With renewed vigor, she then orders, "Kappaqueous, let's try that Hydroshock again!"

Dawn orders, "Out of the water, Piplup!" Piplup quickly leaps out on to the land and out of the range of the attack, but Kappaqueous seems to know how to fix that. It to leaps out of the water and onto a platform. With its psychic powers it lifts the water right out the pool and surrounds both itself and Piplup. Piplup goes wide-eyes in surprise.

Brenda cheers, "Do it!" Kappaqueous unleashes another shockwave of psychic energy through the water. Piplup tries to swim away, but there is no dodging it. Piplup is flung out of the water and lands on the side of pool. "Kappaqueous, Aqua Bomb!" Kappaqueous leaps out of the water and begins another barrage of Aqua Bombs. This time Piplup is unable to dodge and the attacks land. Piplup faints. Brenda breathes a sigh of relief. "We did it…"

Gillian declares, "That's it! There you have it! Brenda and Kappaqueous win!" There is a massive applause.

Ash, Brock, May, and Max all give Brenda a standing ovation. Something catches May's eyes. She looks to the side to see standing in a walkway, leaning over a railing is Will. Showing little emotion, he slowly nods, maybe inferring that he's pleased. Then he stands up straight, turns around, and walks away. May grins. "He really does care."

Max asks, "What's that May?"

"Oh…nothing."

* * *

Brenda stands atop a raised platform in the middle of the water stage with Kappaqueous. Wallace and Milotic stand across the platform from her. Wallace pulls out the brilliant Aqua Ribbon and says, "Brenda, it is truly my pleasure to bestow this ribbon upon you. I am sure you must have heard this before, but you have great potential as a coordinator. If you continue to work just as hard as you did for this contest, then I am certain you can achieve anything." Milotic generates an Aqua Ring around the ribbon and causes it to float towards Brenda.

Brenda catches it. She stares at it for a moment, speechless. Then she declares with celebration, "Alright, the Aqua Ribbon is all mine!"

Kappaqueous adds, "Kappapapaqueous!"

* * *

Everyone has gathered outside the contest hall. May says, "Congratulations Brenda, you earned that ribbon."

Dawn nods. "You sure did. That battle was amazing. Now just don't forget, you can't rest on your laurels. Keep on training and never stop."

Brenda nods. "You helped me through a tough time Dawn. Thank you so much. I won't ever stop training, I promise."

Dawn smiles. "Then you'll be a top coordinator in no time."

Ash asks, "Do you three really have to leave right now?"

May grins. "Unfortunately we do. I'm traveling back to the Sinnoh Region with Drew, and he's leaving tonight."

Max complains, "Come on May, we don't have to travel back with your boyfriend, let's stay a little."

May suddenly gets angry, "He is most certainly not my boyfriend!"

Max waves it off. "Yeah sure, whatever you say." Everyone laughs.

Then Dawn says, "And I've got to get moving back to the Kanto Region if I don't want to miss the Viridian Contest. So I best be off as well."

Ash nods. "Alright, well it was great seeing you."

Brock pulls out three paper bags from his backpack and hands them out. "Here you guys go, I took the liberty of preparing a dinner for your trips."

May is ecstatic. "Wow, I get one last Brock-prepared meal! That's great! Thanks Brock."

Brenda asks, "So I guess this is goodbye then?"

Dawn nods. "Until we meet again."

May nods as well, "Because we will see each other again."

Brenda nods in agreement. "For sure."

And with that, they all say their final goodbyes and depart.

_The Wallace Cup may be a wrap, and Dawn, May, and Max may be off to return to their own journeys, but strong friendships have been forged here that will never be forgotten. And for Brenda this isn't an end, but rather a new beginning. And with a newly evolved Kappaqueous on her side, her adventure is finally looking up as her journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	60. Episode 60:What You Seed is what You Get

Episode 60: What You Seed is What You Get

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking through Celes City. _The Wallace Cup may be over, but that doesn't mean that our heroes are ready to leave the beautiful Celes City quite yet._

Brenda says, "So now we can finally check out the Park Zone."

Ash questions, "So what is the Park Zone?"

Brenda explains, "You see, most of northern Tenno is national park land. The Park Zone is a specific portion of that land that has been turned into special nature preserve for Pokémon. Due to its unique collection of various landscapes it has all sorts of Pokémon living there. Because of all of those different types of Pokémon they host Safari Games there."

Ash asks, "What's a Safari Game?"

Brock replies, "Come on Ash, you should know. Don't you remember the Safari Zone in Kanto, where you caught your 30 Tauros? That was a Safari Game."

Ash nods with realization. "Oh yeah. How could I forget? For some reason that whole episode is a little hazy in my memory. Strange."

Brenda asks with amusement, "Thirty Tauros? Don't you think that's a little excessive?"

Ash shrugs. "What can I say? I got too excited and they seemed to be just asking to be caught." He then declares, "Now let's go check out that Safari Game."

* * *

The three of them arrive at the front desk of the gate to the Park Zone. Ash walks up to the desk and says, "We'd like to participate in the Safari Game please."

The receptionist nods. "Alright then." She pulls out three sack from under the desk and place them on top. "If each of you would please take one bag. These bags each contain 30 Safari Balls. These are the only Pokéballs that you're allowed to use while in the Park Zone. Also, please note that using your Pokémon to battle the wild Pokémon is strictly prohibited. You must attempt to catch the Pokémon using only these Safari Balls. You will be alerted when your time runs out. Is this acceptable?"

Ash nods. "Sure is." He snatches up one of the sacks and puts it in his backpack. "This should be fun, right Pikachu?"

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pik."

Brenda and Brock also pick up their sacks. The receptionist smiles to them and wishes, "Good luck."

They all walk out the back exit and into the Park Zone. What they find awaiting them is a lush and verdant forest. Brenda says, "This first area is the Forest Zone. The Park Zone is split up into five environmentally distinct zones, each one with its own terrain and Pokémon."

Ash excitedly begins to look around. "Alright, where are all those Pokémon? Which one will I catch first?" He notices a bush rustling and out of it comes a Dunsparce. Ash quickly pulls a green Safari Ball out of his bag. "Alright, there's a Pokémon." He throws it. "Go, Safari Ball!"

Ash's shouting alerts the Dunsparce to Ash's presence. It turns to see the Pokéball coming at it. With fright it leaps into the air and flies away, causing the Safari Ball to miss entirely.

Ash groans, "Not again…"

Brock comments, "Trying to catch Pokémon without battling them first sure is a whole different ball game. You've got to be more clever about how you approach it."

Brenda grins. "I guess shouting 'go Safari Ball!' might not be the best technique."

Ash scratches the back of his head. "Yeah, guess I got a bit ahead of myself there. Oops…" He then perks back up. "But can't let that one failure stop me. We've just got to keep on looking." So they venture deeper into the forest.

After walking for a little bit, Brenda points, "Hey look, there's some Pokémon!" Out of the bushes comes a group of Grass-Type Pokémon, including a Nuzleaf, Pansage, Gloom, and Exeggcute. They are led by a Breloom. They seem to be heading somewhere specific.

Brock comments, "That's odd, where do you think they're going?"

The question is answered once they all stop and circle around a tree. The Breloom steps up to the tree and laughs. It then jabs at the tree trunk forcefully, shaking the entire tree. Out of the tree falls several large seeds.

Brenda asks, "What do they want with those seeds?"

Brock points out, "Those aren't seeds, look closer."

He's right, these aren't seeds at all, they're seed-shaped Pokémon, which begin to get up and run around frantically. Their main body and face is the seed itself, while they have arms and legs formed from root sprouts emerging from the seed. Growing off the top of the head is a small sprout with two leaves.

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Traineed, the Seed Pokémon and a Grass-Type. Traineed can do very little in the way of fighting due their small stature and weak limbs, but they dream of nothing more than to become powerful. They will dedicate much of their time to training in order to achieve this goal. Evolves into Arborrior by training with a Fighting-Type move."

The Traineed all run around, attempting to get away from the tree, but the ring of Grass-Types blocks them in. Then, completely unprovoked, the Breloom jabs at one of the Traineed, knocking it to the ground. It laughs, as do all the others in its gang. Then all of the Grass-Types begin to attack the Traineed for no apparent reason. They all continue to laugh and seem to enjoy it.

Ash clenches his fist in outrage. "They're bullies!" With instinct alone, he pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Falcoknight, stop this now!"

Falcoknight appears, but the moment it does, Brenda insists, "Ash, remember that you're not allowed to use your Pokémon for battling in here."

Ash realizes his mistake. "But I can't just stand here and do nothing."

Brock says, "There's nothing you can do Ash."

Ash and Falcoknight both sigh with shame.

Then Brenda shouts, "Hey, look at that!"

Ash looks up to see that a new Traineed has appeared outside the ring of Pokémon. It lectures, "Train traineed! Train!"

The Breloom turns around towards this new Traineed and grins maliciously. It slowly approaches the seed Pokémon and cracks its knuckles. The Traineed shows no fear and doesn't stand down.

Ash says with admiration, "That Traineed is sticking up for all of its buddies." Falcoknight watches with special interest.

Breloom stops right in front of Traineed. It's four times larger than Traineed, but Traineed shows no signs of intimidation. Breloom eggs Traineed on with a beckoning motion. Traineed leaps into action and attempts to attack Breloom with a sweeping kick.

Brock exclaims, "That's a Low Sweep attack!"

However, the incoming attack has absolutely no effect on Breloom. Traineed's leg hits Breloom's foot, but with not nearly enough force to trip it. Breloom begins laugh. "Bre bre bre bre bre!" Its gang, who has stopped attacking the other Traineed and started watching this, all join it in its laughter. Breloom then pulls back its arm and its hand begins to glow white. It launches a powerful punch attack, hitting Traineed and sending it flying backwards, only to slam into a tree behind it.

Falcoknight cries out, "Falllllllco!"

Breloom assesses its handiwork and nods with content. It turns around and walks away after beckoning for its gang to follow. They all leave. The remaining Traineed all run away.

Ash immediately runs over to the fallen Traineed with Falcoknight flying behind him. He kneels down and says, "Hey, that was pretty cool what you did back there, standing up for your friends. You're really brave."

Traineed manages to gather the strength to look up towards Ash. As soon as it sees him it gets up and runs away into the forest.

Brenda asks, "What was up with that?"

Brock says, "It just took a major beating. I don't think it wants to face anyone after that."

Ash gets up and says with determination, "That gang of Grass-Types is nothing but a group of big bullies. We can't let this continue."

Brenda asks, "But what can we do? We can't use our Pokémon to battle them."

"Our Pokémon may not be able to battle here, but Traineed can. We have to help Traineed achieve its goal being stronger so that it can protect its friends."

Falcoknight agrees, "Falco."

Ash smiles. "So you're with me Falcoknight?"

"Falllllllcoknight!"

Brock suggests, "Traineed must remind Falcoknight of itself when it was an Apprentichick. Both Apprentichick and Traineed share the common goal of wanting to become strong, and they'll both endlessly train to achieve that goal."

Ash asks, "Is that the case Falcoknight? Do you want to help Traineed get stronger?"

Falcoknight nods. "Falco."

Ash grins. "Then that's exactly what we'll do. Come on, let's find that Traineed." He runs off in the direction Traineed left. Brock and Brenda follow.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon avoids unnecessary disputes, but it will decimate anything that threatens its pride.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda walk through the woods searching for Traineed. Ash calls out, "Traineed!"

Brenda shouts, "Where are you!?"

Brock calls, "Come out, come out wherever you are!"

Brenda asks, "How are we supposed to find such a little Pokémon in this gigantic forest?"

Ash says with determination, "We've just got to keep on looking. We can't give up on Traineed."

Then down from the sky flies Falcoknight. It declares, "Fallllllcoknight!"

Ash asks excitedly, "Did you find Traineed, Falcoknight?"

Falcoknight nods. "Falco."

"Show us the way, then!"

Falcoknight flies off and Ash, Brock, and Brenda follow after it. It leads them through the woods to a small meadow. In the middle of the meadow are two large rocks. Standing in front of one of them is Traineed, who is continuously kicking the rock. "Trainnn…eed! Trainnnn…eed! Trainnnn…eed!"

Ash runs up towards the training seed. "Hey, Traineed! Are you training to get stronger? That's awesome!"

The Traineed turns around in surprise to see Ash. It leaps into the air and launches a Razor Leaf attack from the sprout on its head. "Traineed!"

Ash leaps back a step, causing the Razor Leaves to hit the ground right in front of his feet. Ash tries to reason, "We're not here to hurt you, Traineed. We want to help you. We want to help you achieve your goal and become stronger so you can beat those bullies."

Traineed, who was ready to launch another attack, freezes up upon hearing this. It seems to be considering Ash's words. Then it suddenly launches another Razor Leaf attack angrily, forcing Ash to jump back and out of the way again. It turns around again and returns to its kicking exercises.

Ash says, "I don't get it. Why doesn't Traineed want our help?"

Brock suggests, "It might be a pride issue. Maybe Traineed has too much pride to except help from a human."

Brenda states, "I may be new to this whole training thing, but maybe it just doesn't think you have any means of helping it."

Ash thinks aloud, "Hmm…how do we prove to Traineed that we can help?"

Brenda points forward. "Looks like Falcoknight has an idea."

Ash turns around to see that Falcoknight is flying over to Traineed. It lands next it, in front of the second rock. Traineed eyes it cautiously. Falcoknight turns to face the rock and delivers a powerful kick to the rock, causing some of it to chip away. This surprises Traineed. Falcoknight beckons to Traineed's rock and says, "Falco falc," as if suggesting that Traineed should give it a try.

Traineed nods. It turns back to its rock and delivers a kick that is much less powerful than Falcoknight's.

Falcoknight shakes its head. "Knight." It then demonstrates its kick again, once again chipping the boulder.

Traineed nods once more. It once again returns attention to its boulder and attempts another kick, this time more closely imitating Falcoknight's technique. It looks back to Falcoknight questioningly. "Train?"

Falcoknight nods. "Falco," indicating that it is on the right path.

While the two of them continue to discuss kicking tactics, Brock says, "I guess all we needed to do was prove to Traineed that we really could help it. Once it saw how powerful Falcoknight's kick was, there was no way it could turn down the help."

Ash cheers, "Way to go, Falcoknight!"

Watching them train, Brenda comments, "It's actually kind of cute watching those two train together."

Traineed continues to attempt to replicate Falcoknight's kick, and Falcoknight continues to give Traineed pointers and demonstrations.

* * *

**It's Empoleon!**

* * *

Team Rocket sneaks their way through the Forest Zone. They all carry butterfly nets with them. Jessie says in an overly sweet voice, "Come on you little Pokémon, Jessie wants to play with you."

Meowth complains, "Where are all those Pokémon? This place is supposed to packed full of them."

Beckoning to his net, James comments, "Why are we even trying to catch Pokémon here like this? Isn't the purpose of this place to catch Pokémon?"

Jessie answers, "Yeah, but that would be the morally responsible thing to do."

Meowth agrees, "And if there's one thing that Team Rocket isn't, it's morally responsible. We're going to catch all the Pokémon we can, and do it as illicitly as we can."

They keep on moving and hunting for Pokémon. A little later, Jessie stops and declares, "I'm famished. Fortunately, I still have a little something left over from lunch." She pulls out a sandwich and prepares to eat it. Just before she plops it in her mouth, a Breloom leaps out of nowhere and grabs the food right out of her hands. It lands on the ground next to its gang of Grass-Types and tosses the food into its mouth, swallowing it whole. It laughs at Jessie as do all the other Grass Pokémon. Jessie angrily shouts, "Why you little!" She leaps at Breloom, but Breloom jumps safely out of the way and Jessie falls to the ground. Breloom laughs again. It then beckons forward and it and its gang leave.

James, somewhat stunned from the sudden events, comments, "Well…that just happened…"

Jessie gets up and angrily stomps her feet. "Why that no good mushroom Pokémon! How dare it steal my food!?" She turns to Meowth and James. "It's been decided what Pokémon we're going to catch. I'm going to get revenge by poaching that pestilent Pokémon posse."

Meowth suddenly declares, "Hey, that's a great idea!"

James and Jessie both question, "It is?"

Meowth nods. "Sure, that group of Grass-Types would be the perfect gift for The Boss."

James and Jessie question, "It would?"

Meowth nods again. "Absolutely." He leaps into fantasy mode. "Imagine this; The Boss, he's looking out his office window at his garden, and he's thinking-"

James cuts Meowth off, "I hate to rain on your parade, but I'm pretty sure The Boss doesn't have a garden."

Meowth continues, "Of course he doesn't, he's the Team Rocket Boss! He's too busy to worry about having a green thumb. That doesn't mean he doesn't want to have a garden. So anyways, he's looking out over what could be his garden, seeing nothing but empty dirt. He complains, 'Oh how much I would love to have a garden that's as top notch as Team Rocket itself is, one fit for the cover of Headquarters and Gardens Monthly, but I just don't have the time.' Now that's where we come in with a gift of that gang of Grass-Types." Jessie, James, and Meowth in fantasy form enter fantasy Giovanni's office and dump a wheelbarrow full of Grass Pokémon onto the ground and leave. "The Boss will instantly realize that being Grass-Types make those Pokémon natural born gardeners, allowing them to be busy at work tending his flowers while he's busy at work tending Team Rocket." The fantasy Giovanni watches as the Grass Pokémon transform his lot of dirt into a lush and verdant garden. "Upon seeing a garden that is sure to make the cover of his favorite headquarters design magazine, The Boss will only have one thing on his mind. He'll declare, 'As Meowth and friends have bestowed upon me these wonderful gardeners, it only makes sense that I give them as much green as they have given to me.'" The fantasy ends.

Jessie cheers, "As long as that green he plans on giving us isn't in the form of broccoli or spinach, I'm in!"

James adds, "Or Brussel sprouts, I hate Brussel sprouts."

Meowth assures, "Nope, the only green we'll be seeing is the kind that any child would love."

This makes James declare, "So what are we waiting for then? Let's go!"

* * *

All this time, Falcoknight and Traineed have continued their training. Falcoknight's rock has been significantly chipped away from repeated demonstrations while Traineed's shows no signs of damage. Traineed appears to be growing tired and is panting. Falcoknight asks it, "Falco?" inquiring as to whether or not they should stop.

Without hesitation and with the utmost determination, Traineed shakes its head and denies, "Traineed train!"

Falcoknight nods and gives another demonstration kick, further shattering its rock.

Traineed turns back to its rock and takes a deep breath while closing its eyes for concentration. After a moment of gathering its thoughts, it opens its eyes back up and goes through the exact motions of Falcoknight's kick in slow motion. Its foot impacts the rock with great power and causes pieces of the rock to shatter and fly off. Traineed freezes up in surprise upon seeing what it has done.

Falcoknight exclaims, "Fallllllcoknight!" with celebration.

Ash cheers, "You did it Traineed! You mastered the kick!"

A grin comes to Traineed's face as it fully realizes what it has accomplished. It says, "Train…eed…" with a combination of happiness and relief.

Brock comments, "Of course, mastering one kick isn't enough to achieve Traineed's full potential by any means."

These words resonate with Traineed. Immediately its look of celebration turns back into one of sheer determination. It turns back to its rock and begins to further practice with its new kick.

Brenda marvels, "That Traineed has to be one of the most dedicated and determined Pokémon I have ever seen."

Brock agrees, "It's in normal Traineed nature to dedicate oneself to getting stronger, but I think that this Traineed takes that to a whole new level. It really is amazing."

Ash comments, "That Traineed is my kind of Pokémon, that's for sure."

Before anyone can say anything else, a voice shouts out in need, "Traineeeeed!"

Ash exclaims, "That's another Traineed! Those bully Pokémon must be harassing them again!"

Traineed hears this and looks to Ash. It looks to the rock and observes the damage it has caused one last time. It then clenches its fist in determination and nods. "Traineed." It runs off towards the other Traineed's cry.

Ash beckons, "Come on, let's follow it!" He runs off, followed by Brock, Brenda, and Falcoknight.

They keep on running until they find a familiar sight. The same gang of Grass-Types have encircled a tree where Traineed live and have knocked them out and begun to antagonize them.

Traineed steps up to them and declares boldly, "Train traineed!"

The Breloom turns around to see its challenger and laughs. It asks, "Loom breloom bre!?" as if to ask if this is some kind of joke.

It's gang all seem to think it is, as they all break out laughing.

Traineed asserts, "Train traineed train!" This is no joke.

In a repeat from before, Breloom steps up to Traineed with an attempt to intimidate it using its size and challenges it, "Loom breloom."

And just as before, Traineed accepts the challenge. It launches a Low Sweep attack just as it did before, but this time it has training on its side and its powerful kick manages to trip Breloom to the floor.

The Grass-Type Pokémon, who had been laughing up until now, suddenly go silent. They begin to move towards their leader to help it, but Breloom puts up a hand to order them to stop. It gets up and stares angrily at Traineed, and Traineed stares resolutely back at it. Breloom then launches a Dynamic Punch attack just as it did before.

Traineed is ready this time. Using its small size its advantage, it leaps upwards, landing on Breloom's extended arm. It then launches a pointblank Razor Leaf at Breloom before leaping backwards to safety.

Breloom staggers back from the Razor Leaf hit it took. Its gang all run up to support it. The Traineed that were being bullied all cheer for Traineed.

Then, completely out of the blue, something falls from the sky. It's a giant robotic Hitmonchan. Emblazoned on its chest is a large red R. The robot makes a punching motion and launches one of its fists. A doorway opens up on the front of the fist and it engulfs the Grass-Type gang. The fist then returns to its position on the robot.

Ash shouts, "Hey, what's going on!?"

The head of the robot folds back, revealing a cockpit beneath it. In the cockpit is Team Rocket. Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble, we're here for the plants!"

James adds, "Make it double, it's time for another of our chants!"

"To protect gardens from devastation!"

"To unite the world against deforestation!"

"To destroy the evils of pests and weeds!"

"To extend our reach by planting seeds!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket fertilizes at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now while we make our garden a sight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Ash demands, "What do you think you're doing, Team Rocket!?"

Jessie responds, "Seeing as the purpose of this place is to capture Pokémon, we're capturing Pokémon."

Brenda shouts, "If you want to capture Pokémon, do it the right way and use Safari Balls! You can't do this!"

Meowth teases, "Make us, you twerp!"

Ash looks to Pikachu and begins to say, "Pikachu, use-"

Brock cuts him off, "No Ash! You can't do that here, remember?"

Ash clenches his fists angrily. "But we can't just let Team Rocket get away!"

James laughs. "Actually, that's exactly what you can do!" The head of the mech returns to its normal position covering the cockpit and they turn around to retreat. They can be heard laughing together.

However, the mech stops when something stands before them. It's Traineed. It defiantly shouts at Team Rocket, "Train traineed train!"

The hatch opens back up as Team Rocket takes a look at this tiny Pokémon standing in their way. They all look to each other silently and then break out laughing. Jessie asks in hysteria, "And what does this little thing plan on doing to stop us!?"

James answers, "I don't know, maybe it wants to make us laugh ourselves into defeat!"

Meowth laughs, "If that's its plan, it might just work!"

Brenda asks, "Is Traineed actually trying to stop Team Rocket? Why would it help those bullies?"

Ash answers, "Because Traineed knows what's right and wrong. It's knows that what Team Rocket is doing is wrong, regardless of how questionable the Pokémon they captured are. No one deserves what Team Rocket has planned for them, and Traineed stands up those who are being wronged, even if they wronged it in the past."

Brock says with admiration, "Wow, that Traineed is something."

Still laughing, Jessie says, "Meowth, let's just get this over with. Get it out of the way."

Meowth nods. "Will do." He slams his fist down on a button. "Go, Super Rocket Punch!" The mecha Hitmonchan launches it fist not containing the Pokémon with rocket propulsion. The fist slams into Traineed, knocking it back into a tree. The fist is recovered and Team Rocket continue on their way.

Ash shouts, "Traineed!"

Falcoknight adds with a worried, "Fallllcoknight!"

Traineed is heavily injured by this last attack. It looks up to see Team Rocket getting away. Using all of its will power and determination, it stands up. Grunting through its pain it takes labored steps towards Team Rocket.

James points back behind them. Ooh, look who's coming after us guys, I'm terrified."

Jessie laughs, "That seed is planting doubts in my mind. Maybe we should stop."

Meowth laughs, "Whatever shall we do?" They all laugh together.

Traineed ignores this. It continues to move towards Team Rocket. Then it suddenly begins to glow. As it glows, it grows larger and completely changes shape.

Ash exclaims with disbelief, "Traineed…is evolving!"

While going through the process of evolution it continues to take one step after the other towards Team Rocket. Meanwhile, Team Rocket is too busy laughing to see what's happening. The glowing ceases. Traineed is now a tree Pokémon. Its main body is the trunk, with a hollow towards its top forming a mouth and marks in the bark forming its eyes. Its feet are derived from its roots while its arms are branches that jet out of either side of the trunk with bushels of leaves on the end. The branches above its head are covered in verdant green leaves as well.

Still stunned, Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Arborrior, the Forest Guardian Pokémon and a Grass and Fighting Combo-Type. When a Traineed fully develops into an Arborrior, all of the training it put in can now be put to its full use with its powerful new body. It will fight endlessly to protect the forest that it lives in. Evolves from Traineed by training with a Fighting-Type move."

Arborrior shouts with newfound strength, "Arborrrrrrior!"

Hearing this, Team Rocket slowly freeze from their laughing fit and realize what has happened. Jessie comments, "Um…guys…I don't think this is a laughing matter…"

James agrees, "Not anymore…"

Meowth shakes off the shock. "Then fight we will!" The head lowers back down into position and the mech takes a fighting stance.

Arborrior takes a stance as well. The two then leap at each other. The mech attempts to launch a powerful punch at Arborrior, but Arborrior dodge to the side and makes a fist, which becomes cloaked in fire. It unleashes a powerful punch with this fiery fist, knocking the mech off balance.

Brock exclaims, "Wow, Arborrior learned Fire Punch!"

Brenda asks, "But why would a Grass-Type Pokémon be using a Fire-Type move?"

Brock explains, "Not just a Fire-Type move, a Fire and Fighting Combo-Type move. Arborrior is known for its powerful punches, so it's only natural that it should be able to attack with such a move."

The Hitmonchan mech is wobbling and trying to keep its balance. Jessie shouts, "You get this thing back under control right now, Meowth!"

Meowth, who is frantically working at the controls, answers, "I'm giving it all she's got, Jessie!"

James points out the window, "Um…you might want to give it more."

Arborrior is running towards them. Once it gets in close, it attacks by kicking the mech's feet with a Low Sweep, causing it to tumble to the ground. It turns to the arm that is carrying the Grass-Type Pokémon and raises its own arm above its head. Around its fist, green energy manifests in the form of a stump. It slams this stump down on the fist containing the Pokémon, cracking it open and letting them go free.

Brenda asks, "What kind of move was that?"

Brock answers, "It was Wood Hammer, one of the most powerful melee-based Grass-Type attacks."

Ash cheers, "Great job, Arborrior!"

With the Pokémon free, Arborrior turns to the main mech itself. It raises its arm once more in preparation for another Wood Hammer attack. Jessie, James, and Meowth all give a collective gulp of nervousness. Arborrior slams its hammer down on the main body of the mech, causing it to explode.

Jessie, James, and Meowth are sent flying into the air. James sighs. "Well…so much for that green stuff…"

Jessie comments, "Well…I still do have some green stuff…" She pulls a handful of Brussel sprouts from her pocket.

James is horrified by the sight. He shouts in a long and drawn out fashion, "No!"

Then they all shout, "We're blasting off again!" as they disappear.

Arborrior watches them disappear proudly. Falcoknight flies over to it and perches on its shoulder. It congratulates, "Falco!"

Arborrior looks to it and grins. "Arborrior!"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda also run up to it. Ash exclaims, "That was just great, Arborrior! And think about it, you've achieved your goal! You've become more powerful!"

Arborrior nods. "Borrior."

Brenda asks, "What about them?" She points to the gang of Grass-Types, which are standing somewhat awkwardly nearby.

Having been noticed, Breloom slowly approaches Arborrior. After a moment of silence and gathering its courage, it bows its head in shame and apologizes, "Breloom…"

Brock says, "I think that Breloom has seen the error of its ways now that it's been on the receiving end of being bullied."

Breloom looks up to Arborrior cautiously. Arborrior smiles. "Borrior!"

Breloom looks all the up and happily exclaims, "Breloom bre!"

Both the group of Grass-Types and the group of Traineed run up to Arborrior and Breloom and happily cheer.

Ash watches this scene and smiles. "I'm so glad we could help out." He looks to others. "I guess we better get going now. We've helped out all that we can." Brock and Brenda nod in agreement. Ash calls out, "Come on Falcoknight, we've got to go!"

Falcoknight, still perched on Arborrior's branch, looks over to Ash. It then looks back to Arborrior and says, "Falcoknight." It then flies off.

Arborrior waves and says, "Arborrior!"

Falcoknight lands next to Ash. Ash says to it, "It's because of you that Arborrior was able to evolve. You know that, right?"

Falcoknight nods proudly. "Falco."

They're turning to leave, when behind them they hear the call, "Arborrior!" Ash turns to see Arborrior running towards them.

He asks, "What is it Arborrior?"

Brock suggests, "I don't think Arborrior is ready to separate from us just yet. It still wants to get stronger, and you can help."

Ash smiles. "Is that it, Arborrior? Do you want to continue to train with Falcoknight and me?"

Arborrior nods. "Arbor."

Ash exclaims, "That's great! I promise you that we'll continue to train and you'll get stronger than you could ever imagine!" He pulls out a Safari Ball from his bag. "You ready?"

Arborrior nods. "Borrior."

Ash throws the ball. "Go, Safari Ball!" Arborrior is absorbed into the ball. It wiggles several times and then clicks. Ash picks up the ball and holds it triumphantly, declaring, "I just caught an Arborrior!"

Pikachu adds, "Pik pikachu!"

Falcoknight also comes in with, "Fallllllcoknight!"

Ash grins. "Welcome to the team, Arborrior."

Before anyone can say anything else, a chime is heard and a voice over a loudspeaker declares, "Ash, Brock, and Brenda, your time is up! Please return to the main entrance. You may not capture any other Pokémon at this point."

Ash's mood suddenly changes to despair. "No! I only caught one Pokémon!"

Brock laughs. "We got so caught up in helping Arborrior that we forgot about the Safari Game."

Brenda shrugs. "Oh, well. What are you going to do?"

Ash continues to mope in despair.

_Our heroes may not have accomplished what they set off to do, but what they did do was so much more important. And hey, at least Ash caught one new Pokémon, right?_

**To Be Continued…**


	61. Episode 61: Here Comes the Sun!

Episode 61: Here Comes the Sun!

Ash encourages, "Alright Turtsol, we can do it this time! I can feel it! Use Sunny Day!"

Turtsol declares, "Tuuuuurtsol!" but nothing seems to happen. This disappoints the both of them.

Ash and Turtsol are out training in a grassy meadow. Brenda, Brock, and Pikachu are watching from behind. Brenda comments, "Hey, I think the Sun might have gotten a little brighter on that one."

Ash perks up. "You do?"

Brenda shrugs. "Eh…maybe not."

Turtsol sighs. "Turt…"

Ash encourages, "Come on Turtsol, cheer up. We'll master that move in no time. I promise you."

_Today we find Ash and Turtsol hard at work training for the upcoming gym match at Versal City, where the gym leader will hopefully be back by the time our heroes arrive. Unfortunately, it's beginning to look like this day will be anything but sunny._

Ash plops down on the floor next to Turtsol. "Hmm…what is it that we're doing wrong?" Pikachu runs up to him sits next to him. While deep in thought, Ash pets it, and Pikachu smiles.

Brock reminds Ash, "Don't forget the circumstances that you tried to teach Sunny Day to Turtsol under. None of us had any idea how to teach a Pokémon a move like that. In spite of that fact, you went on and figured it out anyways. Normally you have to wait for a Pokémon to learn a move on its own, or have someone who knows specifically how to teach that move. We had neither, so it's no surprise that Turtsol is having trouble with the move still. It has yet to figure out the key concept to make the move work."

Ash nods. "Yeah…it's such a shame though. When Turtsol used Sunny Day it got so much more powerful. If we could just master the technique, then think about how great a battler Turtsol could become." He suddenly gets up with renewed vigor and declares, "We can't let this keep us down! Come on Turtsol, let's try again!"

With vigor to match Ash's, Turtsol gets back up as well and declares, "Turtsol turt!"

"Let's do it! Sunny Day!"

"Tuuuurtsooooooool!"

The moment Turtsol does this the day turns into night. Everyone is stunned. Brenda asks, "Did Turtsol just use Moonlit Night?"

Brock answers, "Somehow I doubt it. It's absolutely impossible for a solar-based Pokémon like Turtsol to use a lunar-based move like Moonlit Night."

Just as fast as it turned to night, the day returns, but is now accompanied by storm cloud that instantly begins a deluge of rain.

Brenda shouts over the rain, "Alright, I know that Turtsol didn't just use Rain Dance!"

Then the rain stops. Instead the Sun becomes intensely bright. The heat from the bright Sun dries everyone off quickly.

Ash looks to Turtsol. "Was that you?"

Turtsol shakes its head. "Turt."

And once more the weather changes, as the clouds return and now it begins to hail. Everyone runs for shelter underneath a tree.

Brock says, "There is no way this weather is natural. A Pokémon of some kind must be influencing it." The hail ceases and the weather returns to normal.

Ash points to the top of a nearby hill. "Look up there! Maybe he knows what's going on." On the top of the hill is a man who seems unfazed by the drastic weather.

They all head towards the top of the hill. The man standing there is an elderly man wearing some sort of strange robe that has various weather-themed prints on it, such as a sun, clouds, wind, rain, and snow. Floating beside him is a Castform. The old man says, "Great job Castform. Your weather abilities are all topnotch."

Ash asks, "Excuse me, was that you who just changed the weather?"

The old man turns to see Ash, Brock, and Brenda approaching. "My apologies youngsters. I didn't realize there was anyone else in the vicinity. I hope I didn't _rain_ on your parade, so to speak." He chuckles at his own joke.

Ash shakes his head. "Don't worry about it. We were actually working on some weather attacks of our own."

The old man nods. "I see. If you don't mind me asking, what where you working on?"

Ash beckons to Turtsol. "My Turtsol and I have been working on mastering the move Sunny Day since it evolved a while back. We've gotten lucky a couple of times, but for the most part it can't seem to be able to pull it off."

The man closely observes Turtsol. "Indeed."

Brock asks, "So why were you changing the weather like that?"

The man smiles. "Why, it's my job. My name is Zephyr, and they call me the Weather Guru. Castform and I are masters of weather manipulation."

Brenda looks to Castform and comments, "It's so cute." She pulls out her Pokédex.

"Castform, the Weather Pokémon and a Normal-Type. Castform's body is highly attuned to currents in the air, giving it a highly accurate sense of the weather. It will transform its cellular structure in order to adapt to any weather. Does not evolve."

Zephyr comments, "But that's not all. My Castform has mastery over the moves Sunny Day, Moonlit Night, Rain Dance, and Hail, meaning it not only responds to the weather, it controls it."

Ash says to himself, "You've mastered Sunny Day…" Suddenly Ash begs, "Please sir, you have to help my Turtsol learn Sunny Day. Please."  
Zephyr appears skeptical. "I don't know…"

"Please sir. You're the Weather Guru, surely teaching us to use one weather move will be easy for one as knowledgeable as you."

Zephyr grins, he likes what he's hearing. "Yes…you could even say it would be a _breeze._ Okay I'll do it."

Ash gets leaps up and cheers. "You hear that Turtsol? He's going to teach us!"

Turtsol cheers, "Turtsol turt!"

Suddenly sounding overly serious, Zephyr warns, "But heed my warning. It will not be an easy task for you. Much work and dedication will be required, and you'll have to keep on working no matter what happens, come _rain_ or _shine_." At the last few words he can't help but drop his serious tone and chuckles once again at his own joke.

Ash nods. "We can do it."

Zephyr nods. "Good. Then your training begins immediately."

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

**When this Pokémon's eyes gleam gold, it can spot hiding prey-even those taking shelter behind a wall.**

* * *

Ash and Turtsol have taken positions for training. Zephyr strolls back and forth in front of them, his Castform following. He asks, "Now tell me Ash, what is the most important thing to remember when executing a weather-based move?"

Ash is unsure what to say. "Um…I don't know…"

Zephyr says with sudden outrage, "What!? You mean you've been trying to teach your Pokémon Sunny Day without knowing the very core of weather-based moves!?"

Ash chuckles awkwardly. "Yeah…I guess so…"

"No wonder you have failed!"

Brock whispers to Brenda, "Well…that was a bolt from the blue."

Zephyr suddenly turns to Brock and shouts, "Hey! Only I get to make weather jokes! I better not catch _wind_ of you making another one!" Despite his apparent anger, he can't help but crack up.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all just stare at him with confusion.

Zephyr shakes it off and returns focus to Ash and Turtsol. "Now, as I was saying, there is one thing more important than anything else you must keep in mind when attempting to master the weather."

Ash asks eagerly, "What is it?"

"It's that you can't master the weather."

This leaves Ash confused. "Wait…what?"

"What I mean is that no one being can truly control the weather. In the end, Mother Nature will always have her way. It is the foolish desire to control Mother Nature that leads to the downfall of so many would be weather manipulators. You must always remember that you are simply making a deal with Mother Nature to temporally change the weather, you are not trying to subvert her will to your own."

Ash nods slowly. "Alright, I get it…I think."

"Good, and you and Turtsol better remember it. The moment you forget it is the moment you fail. Now, we're going do a little exercise. I want you and Turtsol to utilize Sunny Day to the best of your abilities."

Ash nods with determination. "You bet. Let's do it Turtsol!"

"Wait! I wasn't done yet. In order to better measure your abilities, I need to put something else in place first." He turns to Castform. "If you would be so kind Castform."

Castform nods. "Castform!" It begins to glow with dark purple light. Then the day is transformed into night. It used Moonlit Night. Moments after using the attack, there is a flash of light and Castform transforms. Its head is now a dark gray with an even darker gray patch around its eyes. Wrapped around the top of its head is a crescent moon. Below its head is a patch of clouds partially covering the moon.

Brenda exclaims, "Woah! Castform transformed!"

Brock nods. "Yeah, that's Castform's signature Ability, Forecast. It allows Castform to change to match the weather. This is Castform's Moonlit Form."

Zephyr explains, "It should be easier for Turtsol to transform the night into a sunny than it would be when it is already daytime. It will also make any changes in the intensity of the Sun more apparent."

Ash nods. "That makes sense." He looks to Turtsol. "That must be why you were able to use Sunny Day before, because all those night Pokémon were using Moonlit Night." Turtsol nods in agreement. "Alright Turtsol, we did it then, we can do it now! Use Sunny Day!"

"Tuuuuurtsoooool!" Noting happens.

Zephyr nods. "Hmm…I can see we have some ways to go. But not to worry, this _cloud_ has a silver lining!" He gives a chuckle before returning to a sterner attitude.

Ash perks up from his disappointment. "It does?"

Zephyr nods. "Yes, if you have performed the move before successfully, that means that you have the ability to do so again. We'll just have to keep on working until you figure out how you did it last time!"

With vigor, Ash agrees, "You're right. We'll just keep on working. Let's do it!"

Watching from up above in their balloon is Team Rocket. James comments, "So that Castform Pokémon can change the weather."

Meowth nods. "Sounds quite handy. Just imagine what Team Rocket could do if we controlled the weather itself. We could be invincible!"

Jessie agrees, "We need to catch that Castform, no doubt about it."

James states, "Into every life, a little _rain_ must fall."

Meowth continues, "And when it _rains_, it _pours_."

Jessie concludes, "So let's take them by _storm_."

* * *

**It's Luxray!**

* * *

Ash and Turtsol continue their training, but seem to have gotten nowhere. Zephyr takes a good look over the two of them and thinks, "Hmm…You two seem to be making little progress. I fear we may be experiencing a _dry spell_." He stops to chuckle then continues, "We're going to need to take a different approach to this. Tell me, how did Turtsol manage to use Sunny Day the first time?"

Ash explains, "Well, you see, it started back when Turtsol was just a Turcell. We met this group of Helioptile and Helioisk. Because they're also solar-powered Pokémon they and Turcell became friends. The place they lived in was a paradise for solar-powered Pokémon. But then a group of nasty night Pokémon came in and used Moonlit Night to stop the Sun from shining. This was really bad for the Helioptile and Helioisk because they needed the Sun for energy. We decided that the only way to fight back was using Sunny Day, but since Helioptile and Helioisk can't learn Sunny Day, it was up to Turcell. We trained really hard and eventually Turcell had a breakthrough and used Sunny Day, but then when we went to fight the night Pokémon it failed to be able to use it again. It wasn't until it was pushed to its limits that it then evolved and used Sunny Day again. We may have helped those Helioptile and Helioisk, but we haven't been able to use Sunny Day again since."

Zephyr nods. "I see. I think I understand what your problem is."

Ash perks up. "You do?"

"Yes. Do you remember what I told you is the most important thing to remember when using a weather move?"

Ash nods. "That you do not control Mother Nature, you work with her."

Zephyr nods proudly. "Indeed. Those night Pokémon you fought had forgotten that rule. They were attempting to control Mother Nature for their own benefit. Your Turtsol, on the other hand, was attempting to return things to their natural order. It was that mentality combined with the stress and urgency of the situation that allowed it to prematurely use Sunny Day, a move that it may not have normally been ready for."

Ash considers what he says. "Are you saying that Turtsol may not be ready to learn Sunny Day yet?"

"I wouldn't put it in such absolute terms. Catching a second _wind_ is always possible." He simply grins at his last pun. "But it is a possibility that the reason your Turtsol has not yet been able to master Sunny Day is because it is not yet ready to master it."

Ash nods. "Alright…what should we do, then?"

Before Zephyr can answer, some sort of mechanical clamp bursts into the scene out of nowhere and latches on to Castform. Castform struggles to free itself and shouts, "Cast! Castform!" The clamp retracts to its source. Everyone looks in the direction in surprise to see some sort of massive machine marching towards them. It's vaguely humanoid in shape, having two feet and two arms, but is extremely bulky in its design. Heavy metal plating colored blue covers most of the body. A windmill-like fan rests on each of its shoulders, and some sort of giant metal umbrella is attached to the top of its head. Castform is pulled into a clear metal pod situated in the machine's chest area.

Zephyr asks in surprise, "What's this!?"

Jessie appears to answer. She's dressed in a yellow raincoat, holding an umbrella. "Prepare for trouble, it's time for a downpour!"

James appears, and he's wearing a heavy winter parka. "Make it double, this is a weather forecast you won't ignore!"

"To protect the world from inundation!"

"To unite all people with the weather station!"

"To denounce the evils of the clouds above!"

"To extend our reach with this winter glove!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket measures temperature by degrees Fahrenheit!"

"Surrender now if your clothes aren't watertight!"

Meowth appears, dressed in clothes fit for tanning at a beach. "Meowth, that's right!"

Wobbuffet appears holding an umbrella to declare, "Wobbuffet!"

And Mime Jr. appears wearing a scarf. "Mime mime!"

They're all standing on the top of the umbrella of the machine. They cast off their costumes and hop into the cockpit beneath the umbrella.

Zephyr demands, "I don't know who you think you are! But I am the Weather Guru, and you are going to give me back my Castform!"

James declares, "No way! "We're throwing caution to the _wind_ with this plan!"

This infuriates Zephyr. "How dare you make a weather pun!? You're stealing my _thunder_!"

Jessie states, "Why I'll have you know that we've cornered the market on cheesy puns, so why don't you just get your head out of the _clouds_!"

Zephyr stomps his feet in anger.

Ash shouts, "Give back that Castform, Team Rocket!"

Meowth declares arrogantly, "Make us."

Ash nods. "Fine, I will. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu leaps off of Ash's shoulder. "Pikaaaaaaachuuuuuuu!"

Just as its attacking, Meowth slams his paw down on a button and declares, "_Hail_ to the chief!" Castform suddenly cries out in pain as it is electrocuted. Suddenly it transforms into its Snowy Form as it begins to hail all around. It's hailing so hard that the falling ice pellets physically block Pikachu's electricity. The hail then stops.

Brenda asks with surprise, "What was that!?"

Meowth explains, "With this here machine and the natural ability of Castform to change the weather, Team Rocket has officially taken control over the weather."

Jessie laughs, "Just imagine how wrong the weather man will be now."

Zephyr sneers, "You fools, you are tampering with forces you cannot possibly understand! No one except Mother Nature can truly control the weather."

James brushes his warnings off, claiming, "You're just making a _tempest_ in a teapot."

Zephyr turns to Ash. "You have to stop these crooks! A _storm_ is brewing, and I don't like it."

Ash nods. "Don't worry, we'll stop them. Pikachu, let's try an Iron Tail!"

Pikachu begins to run at Team Rocket's mech, but Meowth hits the button again, this time declaring, "You won't be seeing the _light_ of day anytime soon!" Day quickly turns to night as Castform is forced to use its powers and turned into its Moonlit Form. In the cover of darkness, the weather robot moves out of the way of Pikachu's Iron Tail, and Pikachu can't see well enough to correct itself. Meowth then manipulates the machine to smack Pikachu back towards Ash. The Sun then returns. Jessie, James, and Meowth all laugh.

Ash clenches his fists angrily. He looks towards Turtsol and suggests, "Try a Flamethrower, they can't stop that with their hail."

Turtsol attacks with Flamethrower, but Meowth once more hits the button. "I'll take a _rain_check on that attack!" And it begins to rain, changing Castform into its Rainy Form as it shouts out in pain. The sudden downpour completely extinguishes Turtsol's attack.

James laughs and declares, "With this weather machine we are completely invincible! We have mastered nature itself!"

Jessie adds, "Who needs one measly Pikachu when we can summon up an entire thunderstorm!?"

Meowth declares, "Forget being under it, we're over the _weather_!"

Brenda shouts in distress, "It's no use! Whatever attack we throw at them, they can just block it with their control over the weather! What are we supposed to do? There are no options!"

Zephyr shakes his head and says seriously, "No, there is one option, one single _ray_ of hope, so to speak."

Brock asks, "What is it?"

Zephyr points to Turtsol. "Turtsol's Sunny Day is our only hope. If it can use it, then we have blue _skies_ ahead."

Turtsol is shocked. "Turt!?"

Ash asks for it, "But Turtsol isn't ready to use Sunny Day yet, you said it yourself."

Zephyr nods. "Indeed I have, but it's time to ride the _winds_ of change. There was one reason alone that allowed Turtsol to perform Sunny Day before."

Ash and Turtsol's eyes both widen at the same time. Ash exclaims, "Because the night Pokémon were attempting to gain mastery over the weather…just like Team Rocket is now!"

"Exactly. And as long as you and Turtsol remember what I have taught, I am certain you can pull it off."

Ash and Turtsol look to each other at first with uncertainty, but then each give each other a nod of determination at the same time. "Let's do this, Turtsol."

"Turtsol!"

All this time Team Rocket seem to have continued their gloating. James laughs, "We're on _cloud_ nine!"

Jessie points forward. "Looks like the Twerp's going to try again."

Meowth grins. "Don't worry, I'm ready to weather any _storm_ they throw at us."

Ash orders, "Turtsol, use Flamethrower!"

"Tuuurtsoooool!" Turtsol attacks with fire.

Meowth presses he button. "We've been through this one before, but I've been saving this one for a _rainy_ day!" He causes rain once more, stopping Turtsol's attack completely.

Ash looks to Turtsol. "Are you ready for this Turtsol?"

Turtsol nods. "Turt!"

"Turtsol, use Sunny Day!"

"Tuuuurtsoooooool!" Turtsol begins to glow a brilliant orange light and then a shockwave of this light ripples out of its body. The weather changes from rain to a harsh and hot sun.

Team Rocket all freeze up in shock. James asks, "Meowth…what happened to our rain…?"

Meowth chuckles awkwardly. "It would appear that we've hit some _turbulence_."

Jessie demands, "Quickly Meowth, bring back the rain!"

Meowth nods. "Right." He slams his paw the button again, but to no result. Upon realizing that nothing has happened, he begins to rapidly push the button. There's still no change.

James asks, "We have a problem, don't we?"

Meowth nods slowly. "No _drought_ about it…"

Brock cheers, "This is great! Because Team Rocket is attempting to master the weather, Turtsol's Sunny Day is beating out their machine!"

Ash grins confidently. "Okay Turtsol, let's show them what you've got now! Use Flamethrower!"

"Tuuuurtsoooool!" Turtsol unleashes a massive burst of fire due to its power boost from the Sun. The Flamethrower hits the machine right above where Castform's pod is, melting right through with ease. Once the Flamethrower is done, an exit point has been made on the top of the pod. Castform, currently in its Sunny Form, floats right out and back towards Zephyr.

Zephyr rejoices, "Castform, not only are you alright, you're as right as _rain_!" He chuckles to himself as he hugs Castform.

Team Rocket, meanwhile, are busy frantically pushing away at buttons on their control panels, attempting to fix their machine. Suddenly and without warning, the entire thing blows up, sending them flying into the air.

James says with despair, "I don't have the _foggiest_ idea how that happened…"

Jessie agrees, "I didn't see a single _cloud_ on the horizon…"

Meowth adds, "And now it's going to be _raining_ Meowth and Growlithe, minus the Growlithe…"

Wobbuffet appears from its Pokéball, still holding the umbrella from before. It offers the umbrella to Meowth.

Meowth shouts in rage, "Not that kind of rain!"

They all shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

There's an added, "Wobbuffet!" as they disappear into the sky.

Back on the ground, Ash cheers, "That was great, Turtsol! You executed that Sunny Day perfectly!"

Turtsol happily cheers, "Sol turtsol!"

Zephyr reminds Ash, "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves now. Don't forget why you were able to do that in the first place."

Ash objects, "Come on, Turtsol did it perfectly, and on its first try too. Don't you think that means it actually mastered the move?"

Zephyr responds, "There's only one way to find out. Castform, Moonlit Night please." Castform nods and transforms the day to night once more.

Ash grins. "We can do this Turtsol. Use Sunny Day!"

"Tuuurtsoool!" But nothing happens.

Ash hangs his head in shame. "So much for that…"

Turtsol does likewise. "Turtsol…"

Zephyr asserts, "Do not let that get you down. That Sunny Day attack your Turtsol managed to use was one of the finest ones I have ever seen. I promise you that if you just keep up on your training and remember the first rule about weather-based moves, then you and Turtsol will master the move on your own in no time."

Ash takes this to heart and nods. "You're right, and nothing is going to stop us from doing that either. Does that mean our training is over with you?"

Zephyr nods. "It would seem so. I have taught you all that I can. So this is where I bid you goodbye my fair-_weather_ friends."

Brenda asks, "Where are you off to now?"

"Where ever the wind takes me, that's where I shall be. I'm off to chase some _rainbows_!" He gives a chuckle and turns to Castform. "Come Castform, let us be off." Castform nods as the night turns back into day, and it back into its normal form. They move off.

Ash waves. "Bye Zephyr. Thanks for all your help. We'll master Sunny Day, I promise!"

_This day of training may not have turned out the way that Ash and Turtsol originally hoped, but at least they now have a path set in front of them to follow. Dare I say it; they now know which way the _wind_ blows. Stay tuned._

**To Be Continued…**


	62. Episode 62: Breaking the Ice

Episode 62: Breaking the Ice

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are entering a familiar city. Ash declares, "Alright, we're finally back in Versal City! Fourth gym badge, here I come!" He runs off. Brock and Brenda run after him.

_As you've probably already figured out from Ash's excitement, our heroes have arrived back in Versal City, with hope that the Versal City gym leader will also be back and ready for a battle. If so, Ash could have his fourth Tenno League badge coming his way soon._ Ash stops dead in front of the gym. A sign declaring that the gym is closed is hung on the door._ Or not._

Ash hangs his head in sorrow. "Not again…"

Brock and Brenda catch up. Brock comments, "That's strange. I thought it would have opened back up for sure by now."

Brenda asks, "What do we do now? We've come all the way to Versal City twice now. It seems like a waste just to leave emptyhanded for the second time in a row."

Brock pulls out his Pokéssistant and starts tapping around on it. After a moment he says, "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't we go to Frostover Island?"

Ash questions, "Frostover Island?"

Brock nods. "According to this it's a small island off the coast of Versal City. Apparently it's situated right in the middle a patch of ocean known for extremely odd weather patterns, leading to subzero temperatures on the island year round, despite the otherwise semitropical nature of Tenno, so it's completely covered in ice and snow all of the time. Apparently it's a place that trainers go to test their skills and train in a harsh environment."

Brenda shivers at the thought. "Doesn't sound like a vacation I'd want to go on."

Ash, on the other hand, seems psyched. He proclaims, "Sounds great! Let's go there!"

Brock nods. "According to this, a ferry leaves for the island twice a day. It's not long until the next one leaves, so let's go."

* * *

They've all gotten onto the ferry, and are sailing out at sea. Ash points out ahead of them. "Look, that must be Frostover Island." Off in the distance, an island of pure white can be seen. Despite the clear skies and calm weather around them, dark storm clouds seem to be hovering over the island.

Someone behind them affirms, "Indeed it is, that's our destination." They turn around to see one of the boat's sailors approaching them. He's holding up three heavy winter jackets. "Here, you three might want to put these on. It may be warm and sunny here, but things are going to get a whole lot colder the closer we get to Frostover Island."

The three accept the jackets thankfully and they all don them. Brenda comments, "It must be hard sailing between two completely different temperatures."

The sailor nods. "Indeed it is. The entire crew has to keep winter wear at the ready on the way there, and has to shed it on the way back, or it gets unbearably hot. It certainly is a unique job we have. I can't begin to tell you how many tourists and trainers we've ferried over to the island who refuse to believe how drastically the weather changes. They all claim that the temperature is warm and there's not a cloud in the sky, so they have no need to dress for winter weather. By the time we're preparing to dock they've all swallowed their words."

Unbeknownst to them, a periscope pokes up and out of the water behind the boat. The periscope is connected to Team Rocket's Magikarp submarine. Looking through the periscope is Meowth. He says, "Yeah, the twerps are on that boat alright."

James declares, "Then full speed ahead!" He begins to pedal faster.

Jessie shivers. "Is it just me, or is it getting cold in here?"

Meowth plays it off. "No way, we're driving through tropical waters right now, it's nothing but warm out there, and that keeps this sub warm. Good thing too, seeing as we can't afford a heating mechanism."

* * *

After a little while more of sailing, a voice announces, "Attention passengers, we are now making are now pulling into Frostover Harbor. You will be free to disembark once the boat has come to a complete stop. Please don't forget to your jackets."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda have all changed into the winter coats they borrowed from the sailor. Snow is actually falling all around them. Brenda marvels, "Wow, who would have ever thought that you could go from sunny beach to snow in such a short time?"

Brock agrees, "They sure aren't kidding when they say how cold it is here."

Ash exclaims, "And it's that harsh temperature that makes this place perfect for some special training."

Brock observes, "Looks like people are getting off the boat now. Let's go." They head off towards the boarding ramp.

Brenda asks, "So where are we going to go?"

Brock answers, "I don't know. I read that one of the main attractions of the island are the massive glaciers that fill its center. Maybe we should head there first?"

Ash nods. "That sounds like it could be a great place to train. Let's do that for sure." They get off the boat and head off.

Off the coast of Frostover Island, the Magikarp sub still follows the boat. Inside, Team Rocket are all dramatically shivering. Jessie stammers as she shivers, "W-w-whatever-r-r-r hap-happened t-t-to tro-trop-tropical waters?"

Meowth stammers back, "I d-don't know…this-s-s-s c-c-cold is just pl-pl-plain unseasonable. It's-s-s t-t-turning me into a Meowthsicle."

James stammers, "M-maybe w-w-w-we sh-should just t-t-turn around-d-d now, wh-while we st-st-still c-c-c-can feel our legs."

Jessie and Meowth both nod in agreement. They all attempt to pedal at once, but the pedals won't budge. Jessie complains, "H-h-hey, wh-what gives!?"

Meowth pulls down a view screen and observes it. His eyes open with shock. "Not good."

James asks, "Wh-what's-s-s wrong Meowth?"

"The pr-propeller's all fr-fr-frozen up. It's-s-s covered in ice!"

Jessie asserts, "Th-then y-y-you bet-better f-f-f-find a way t-to d-d-deice it!"

Meowth moans, "Easier-r-r s-s-said th-than done…"

Then Wobbuffet appears. It begins to happily declare, "Wobbu-" but suddenly cuts itself off with shivering when it realizes how cold it is. "W-w-w-wobuffet…"

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon's armored body makes all attacks bounce off. The armor is too tough, however, making it heavy and somewhat sluggish.**

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda now walk through the ice- and snow-covered island. They're following a path that has been dug out in the snow. Brenda suddenly stops. "Hey, I've got an idea." She pulls out a Pokéball and tosses it up into the air. "Come on out, Frostcicle!"

Frostcicle appears. It looks around, taking in its surroundings, and then exclaims happily, "Frost frost!"

Brock grins. "Great idea, Frostcicle hasn't been in an icy environment since you caught it. I bet this place reminds it of home."

Frostcicle floats back and a forth, practically dancing through the falling snow with joy.

Brenda grins. "I'm glad you like it, Frostcicle." Seeing Brenda grin makes Frostcicle even happier.

Ash suddenly exclaims, "Hey, look ahead! There's the glacier!" Sure enough, ahead of them is a large wall of pure ice that stretches as far as can be seen. "They're huge!"

Brock nods. "The permanent winter weather here means that the glaciers from the ice age never left this island. You're looking at ice that is thousands of years old."

Brenda eagerly says, "Hey, let's go get a closer look!" She runs off, Ash is right behind here. Brock takes a moment to grin and then runs after them as well.

They make it to the edge of the edge of the glacier and look over it in awe. Brock points out, "Just think about how many things these glaciers have been through. When they first formed the Pokémon living here were a whole lot different. Most of the species that existed during the ice age don't anymore, and are only found as fossils."

Ash points off to the side. "Hey, look over there." He points to some sort of tunnel that leads right into the glacier.

Brock consults his Pokéssistant and explains, "Apparently one of the things these glaciers are known for are their ice tunnels. They're pretty much caves that traverse through the entire length of glaciers."

Ash guesses, "I bet some pretty cool Pokémon must live in those."

Brenda laughs, "Cool in more ways than one I'd bet."

Ash laughs too. "Why don't we check them out?"

Brock says, "I don't see why not. Let's go." They all head towards the tunnel Ash pointed out.

Once at its mouth, they stop and look inside. Brenda says, "Wow, it really is a cave made entirely out of ice." She looks to Frostcicle, who floats behind her, and asks, "Is the sort of place that you like, Frostcicle?"

Frostcicle nods. "Frost frost."

Ash asks, "What are we waiting for? Let's take a look." He heads in first and the others follow.

As they walk through the tunnel, Brenda shivers and says, "Wow, it's so much colder in here."

Brock comments, "Well, what do you expect? We are in the middle of a glacier after all."

Ash wonders aloud, "I wonder what sort of Pokémon live in a tunnel like this. Obviously they must be Ice-Types."

Brock is about to make a comment when someone shouts, "Hey! What are you kids doing in here!?" They all freeze up. From farther up the tunnel a man walks into sight. He's an older man with snowy white hair which almost seems as if it was blown backwards by wind and then frozen in place by ice. He wears a heavy white and light-blue winter parka with the hood down, along with matching snow pants and gloves.

Brock apologizes, "Sorry sir, we didn't realize we weren't supposed to be in here. We thought these tunnels were open to the public."

The man nods. "Really? Have they not blocked off the entrance yet? Those good for nothing workers. It's impossible to get good grunts anymore. I'm sorry for shouting at you then, but this tunnel has been closed to the public due to a recent discovery. We need to keep it preserved, so these tunnels are now strictly off-limits."

Ash asks, "What is it that you found?"

He answers, "That's really none of your business."

Ash prods, "Come on, I bet it's something pretty cool if you've got to close down the entire tunnel."

The man thinks something over for second and shrugs. "I suppose there wouldn't be any harm in showing a couple of curious youngsters. If you three really want to see, then follow me." He turns around and leads them deeper into the tunnel. He's stops after a moment and warns sternly, "You must be extremely delicate though. Do not touch, or even approach what I am about to show you." Ash, Brock, and Brenda all nod. He leads them off.

While they're walking, Ash introduces himself, "By the way, I'm Ash, from Pallet Town, and this is my partner Pikachu."

Brock adds, "And my name's Brock."

"And I'm Brenda."

The man nods. "Ash, Brock, and Brenda. I'm called Halley."

Brock asks, "If you don't mind me asking, Halley, what are you doing here in this ice tunnel?"

"I'm a winter-weather specialist. I the person that people consult when they need an operation to be pulled off in subzero temperatures. In fact, I was the one who designed the insulation used in all Tenno Region astronaut's spacesuits. I have a long and…" he pauses for a moment to look for the right word, "…complicated history with the cold weather. I'm here as a consultant on a project right now."

Brenda asks, "And what's that?"

Halley grins. "You'll see in just a moment." They walk a little longer and then he stops. "And there you have it." He beckons at the wall of ice in front of them.

At first no one notices anything noteworthy, but then they realize what is frozen within the wall of ice itself. It's some sort of Pokémon. It's a large wooly mammoth-like Pokémon, complete with a trunk, tusks, and shaggy brown fur. A tuft of this fur on the top of its head falls down and obscure the top half of its eyes. The two large tusks seem to be made from crystal-like ice. The Pokémon is extremely large, measuring at least seven or eight feet tall.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are all left speechless by the sight. Ash marvels with disbelief, "It's a Pokémon…"

He pulls out his Pokédex. "Mahemoth, the Mammoth Pokémon and a Rock and Ice Combo-Type. During the time of the Ice Age, over 10,000 years ago, Mahemoth could be found all around the world. As the weather began to warm, these Pokémon found themselves unprepared for such climates and soon died completely out. Evolves from Massodon at level 38."

Brock steps up to get a better look. He asks with disbelief, "Is that actually a Mahemoth?"

Halley nods. "Indeed it is. I discovered it a couple weeks back when exploring these tunnels. It must have lived on this island during the Ice Age when these glaciers were only first forming."

Brenda asks with dismay, "You don't think it's still…you know…alive…do you?"

Halley grins. "It's impossible to say for sure, but it is possible that the ice has kept in in a deep cryogenic sleep for all those thousands of years."

Ash says with amazement, "Wow, a Pokémon from 10,000 years ago…"

Suddenly the very tunnel begins to shake violently. Halley looks around with concern. He shouts, "We need to get out of here, now!"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda don't hesitate to listen. They run off. Brenda slips in the process, but Ash, Brock, and Frostcicle catch her and help her return to her feet. They all make a dash for the exit, all while the tunnel continues to shake around them.

They safely make it out and breathe a sigh of relief. Ash asks, "What was that? An earthquake?"

Haley shakes his head. "No, it's called a glacial surge. Glaciers will normally move at a slow but steady pace, but they will sometimes go into periods of instability when they are prone to sudden and rapid movement. It was one of those such events that lead to my discovery of the Mahemoth, as the movement of the glacier was so great it actually changed the layout of the tunnels. I was attempting to map these new tunnels when I stumbled upon the Pokémon." He looks to the glacier and sees that the movement has ceased. "Alright, it looks like it's safe to go back in now. I think we were fortunate; this surge wasn't as drastic as the last. The tunnel should remain intact." Without another word he turns around and heads back into the tunnel.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all look to each other and shrug. They follow him in. They go all the way back into the room containing the frozen Pokémon and find Halley stopped with utter shock. They look to see what has him so surprised. On the other side of the room, standing atop a pile of shattered ice, is the Mahemoth, fully alive and conscious. It looks around with disarray and questions, "Hemoth?"

Everyone is absolutely speechless. A moment later and Halley says with utter disbelief, "The surge…must have broken it free…" He slowly takes a step towards it. Ash begins to follow, but Halley turns back and snaps in a whisper, "No, stay back. That thing has been frozen for 10,000 years, it's almost certainly confused and disoriented." Ash silently nods and steps back. Halley continues to approach the Pokémon slowly. He says in a gentle voice, "Hello there Mahemoth…I know this must be awfully strange for you…but you need to remain calm." Mahemoth eyes Halley cautiously, but doesn't move. Halley makes his final approach and is reaching out to touch Mahemoth when suddenly it trumpets a loud roar. It then begins a full on charge for the exit, which Ash, Brock, and Brenda are blocking. Halley leaps out of the way and shouts, "Kids! Get down!"

The three all leap to the side as well, just in time for Mahemoth to stampede past them. They look with dismay as it runs through the tunnel away from them.

Halley shouts, "Quickly, after it!" They all break out in a run to chase it.

Brenda asks while running, "What's wrong with it?"

Brock answers, "Mahemoth has been frozen for over 10,000 years, not only is it dazed and confused, but a lot has changed as well. It probably never even saw a human before, as humans were much rarer during the Ice Age."

Ash says, "So we have to figure out a way to calm it down."

Halley nods. "Yes, or it might hurt someone."

Mahemoth makes it out of the glacier and into the open. It stops momentarily to gather its bearings, and then makes a beeline towards the coast.

Brock observes, "It's heading towards the ocean, why would it go there?"

Halley thinks for a moment and realizes something. "The land bridge!"

Brenda questions, "The land bridge? What do you mean?"

"During the Ice Age, the abundance of ice and glaciers meant that the sea level was lower. Because of that lower sea level, Frostover Island was actually connected to the Tenno mainland. I bet that that Mahemoth lived on the mainland, but traveled over here one day, only to be caught in the glacier."

Ash realizes, "So it's trying to get home."

Halley nods. "Exactly. The problem is that Mahemoth can't swim, so it has no way back. We have to calm it down, or it's going to go even more berserk when it realizes the land bridge is gone. And even if it could get to the mainland, it wouldn't be good for it. Mahemoth went extinct because of the increase in temperature. There's no way Mahemoth could survive the tropical temperatures of Tenno."

After running a little more, they chase Mahemoth all the way to the frozen beach. Mahemoth skids to a halt once it realizes there is nothing but ocean in front of it. It looks around with panic and dismay. It raises its trunk and trumpets, "Maaaaheeeemoth!" It then frantically begins to run back and forth across the beach, attempting to look for any way to get back to mainland. Several people nearby flee in terror.

Halley shouts, "Mahemoth, calm down! The land bridge is gone! I'm sorry!" Mahemoth ignores him and continues to rampage. Halley grunts. He begins to take a step to get closer, but thinks better of it.

Ash watches the distressed Pokémon with distress of his own. "Mahemoth…it just wants to go home…" He suddenly clenches a fist with determination and looks to Pikachu. Pikachu nods, as they are both thinking the same thing. Ash makes a sprint for Mahemoth.

Brock shouts, "Ash, don't! It's dangerous!"

Halley bursts, "Foolish child! What are you doing!?"

Ash runs right into the path of the charging Mahemoth, plants his feet firmly in the ground, and takes a wide stance with his arms out. Mahemoth is running right at Ash, but he doesn't flinch. He shouts with conviction, "Mahemoth, stop! I know all you want is to get home, but your home is gone! I'm sorry, but there's no way you could ever go back! Please, you have to understand! There are people here and you're putting them in danger! Stop this now!" Ash continues to stand his ground.

While charging towards him, Mahemoth looks Ash in the eyes. Suddenly, a connection is made. A wave of realization crosses over Mahemoth's face. It gradually changes from a full on charge, to a run, to a slow walk, and then it stops right in front of Ash. It looks at him questioningly.

Halley is absolutely stunned while Brock and Brenda show relief. Halley asks, "What…did he just do…?"

Brock grins. "That's Ash for you. He can connect to any Pokémon."

Ash slowly steps towards the massive Pokémon, which stands at nearly twice his height. He reaches out a hand and cautiously begins to stroke Mahemoth's leg. He smiles, "Thank you Mahemoth."

Mahemoth smiles at Ash, it seems to like the petting.

Ash begins to explain, "The thing is, you've been frozen in ice for 10,000 years, and the world is a completely different place now. I truly am sorry, but your home is gone. It's too warm for you to live there anymore."

Mahemoth obviously understands this, as it hangs its head in sorrow. "Hemoth…"

Noticing this, Ash changes his tone and suggests, "But hey, it's not all that bad. You've got new friends now. You've got us. I'm Ash, and this is Pikachu."

Pikachu smiles. "Pika pikachu."

Mahemoth smiles slightly. "Mahemoth."

"Yeah, that's it!"

Out of nowhere, Mahemoth reach out with its trunk and wraps it around Ash. It begins to lift him up.

Brenda shouts, "Oh no! Ash!"

Brock shakes his head. "No, look. Mahemoth isn't attacking." Sure enough, Mahemoth lifts Ash and places him on its back. "I think that means Mahemoth trusts Ash.

Halley shakes his head with disbelief. "Wow, that kid is something else."

Ash thrusts his arm into the air and cheers, "Yeah! This is awesome!" He rides Mahemoth over to the others and waves to them. "Check this out guys, I'm riding a Mahemoth!"

Ash and Pikachu spend the rest of the day playing with their new friend. All three of them seem to be very happy.

A little while later, Halley is watching as Ash, riding on Mahemoth, is chasing after Brock and Brenda in some sort of game of tag. Halley says to himself, "That boy is incredible. This Pokémon is completely out of its time and knows nothing about humans, and yet he has managed not only calm it down, but befriend it. I've seen a lot of things in my life, but certainly nothing like this." He takes a moment to look around, and then calls out, "You better be finishing up soon, the Sun has almost set, and once night comes the temperatures will drop even more. You won't want to be out here when that happens."

They all stop. Brock realizes, "We've completely missed that last boat back to Versal!"

Brenda asks, "What are we going to do?"

Halley chuckles. "Don't worry, I have a cabin not too far from here. You're all welcome to spend the night there. Come on, follow me." He leads them off.

* * *

**It's Shelgon!**

* * *

Night has fallen. At the base of the island's central glacier is a cabin, just as Halley said. Halley, Brock, and Brenda are inside it. Ash is outside talking with Mahemoth. He's petting its leg and saying, "Alright Mahemoth, I've got to go inside and get some sleep and stay warm, but you love the cold, so you'll be alright out here. So why don't you sleep here, and then we'll play some more tomorrow, alright?"

Mahemoth nods. "Hemoth."

Ash grins. "Good. I'll see you in the morning then." He turns around and enters the cabin.

Mahemoth looks around a little and then finds a soft patch of snow. It bends down, and then rolls onto its side in order to lie down.

A little later into the night, Mahemoth seems restless. It's moving around as if trying to get comfortable and seems to be having trouble sleeping. After a little bit of this it gets back up. It walks over to the cabin in peers in through a window. Inside it sees Ash sleeping on a cot. It then looks out towards the ocean and sighs, "Hemoth…" It looks back to Ash, appearing uncertain of its self. It then takes a deep breath, turns around, and heads off for the ocean.

A little later, Ash suddenly wakes up. After a moment, careful not to wake up Pikachu, he gets up and walks to the window to check on Mahemoth. He is shocked to see that Mahemoth is gone. He quickly runs outside and looks around. He sees Mahemoth nowhere. Being outside in only his pajamas, he shivers. He runs back inside and shouts, "Guys, Mahemoth is gone!"

This wakes everyone up. Brenda rubs the sleep out of her eyes and asks groggily, "Are you sure?"

Ash nods. "Absolutely. I looked all around, it's gone."

Brock asks, "But where would it go?"

Everyone suddenly realizes at once and exclaims, "The ocean!"

Now dressed for the cold again, they all run up to the shoreline. They look frantically around. Ash asks, "Where could it be?"

Brenda comments, "It shouldn't be so hard to find such a massive Pokémon."

Halley points out towards the ocean. "Look, there it is!" It would appear that Mahemoth is walking across a frozen segment of ocean out towards mainland.

Ash asks, "What is it doing?"

Brock suggests, "It must be using an Ice-Type attack to freeze the water and create a bridge!"

Ash objects, "But it can't survive on the mainland!"

Halley points out direly, "That's not even the most immediate problem. That ice may be holding up Mahemoth's weight for now, but it won't hold forever, especially as Mahemoth gets into warmer waters, the ice will weaken."

Ash declares, "We have to stop it." He runs towards the point where Mahemoth's ice bridge meets the shore. The others follow. He shouts out, "Mahemoth! You have to come back here! You'll never make it to the mainland like that!"

Mahemoth pauses and looks behind it. It sees Ash, but avoids looking him in the eyes. It turns back forward and continues to slowly and cautiously march across the bridge. After a couple of steps, it stops and uses an Ice Beam attack from its trunk to extend the bridge further and continue on.

Brenda says with despair, "It's no use, Mahemoth is too determined to get home to listen to reason."

Halley asserts, "We have to find a way to convince it to come back."

Brock states, "I think Ash is already ahead of you on that, look." Everyone looks to see that Ash has begun to carefully walk across the ice bridge. He treads cautiously so not to slip or break the ice.

Brenda shouts, "Ash, don't do that! You're only putting yourself in danger too!"

Ash stops and shouts back, "I have to! I need to stop Mahemoth!" With that he turns back and continues walking.

Halley curses, "That fool! What does he think he's doing!?"

Brock says, "There's no stopping him now, he's already set his mind to this. All we can do is hope for his safety."

Ash continues to inch his way out. "Come on Mahemoth, you've got to listen to me. You've just got to." Mahemoth tries to ignore Ash and continues to walk forward. Ash begins to catch up with Mahemoth. "Please Mahemoth. I know you want to go home more than anything else. I know the pain you're in. But please, you can't go home. It's just not possible. If it were, I would be the first person to help you get back. I really would be, but I can't because that's impossible. You're only going to hurt yourself if you keep this up. Please Mahemoth, come back to Frostover Island. It may not be your old home, but there's no reason it can't be your new home." He is now caught up with Mahemoth. He places a hand on Mahemoth's hind leg and strokes it. Mahemoth tenses up for a moment. "Come on Mahemoth, let's go back to your new home."

Mahemoth sighs. "Hemoth…" It slowly turns around to face Ash.

Ash smiles at it. "Does that mean you'll come back with me?"

Mahemoth doesn't respond at first. A moment later and it nods. "Mahemoth."

"That's great. Thank you Mahemoth. Come on, let's go." Ash begins to lead Mahemoth back, and it follows.

Suddenly, the ice beneath their feet begins to creek. Ash's eyes go wide with shock. He notices a crack forming in the ice in front of him. Ash shouts, "Run!" He and Mahemoth make a dash back to the shoreline. The crack spreads and the ice bridge begins to break up.

Brenda shouts, "Oh no! Ash!"

Brock says with distress, "That bridge can't take both of their weights!"

Halley says angrily, "He should have never gone out there in the first place!"

The two continue to run, but the cracks in the ice catch up with them. The entire bridge falls apart underneath them and they are dropped into the water.

Mahemoth's massive weight causes a surge of waves when it hits the water. These waves fling a chunk of ice out of the water. In this chunk of ice is the Magikarp submarine. A muffled, "We're blasting off again!" can be heard as the frozen submarine disappears into the sky.

Ash has grabbed hold of a floating ice chunk to support himself and Pikachu, but Mahemoth is struggling to stay above the water. It trumpets in distress, "Maaaaaaheeeeeemooooooth!"

Ash shouts, "Mahemoth, you've got to stay calm!" He looks around frantically, trying to figure out a way to help. He says to himself in a panic, "I've got to figure something out to help Mahemoth." He sees some of the floating ice chunks and gets an idea. "Hey…ice floats!" He looks back to shore and calls, "Brenda, you've got to send out Frostcicle!"

Brenda asks, "Why?" But then realizes what Ash is suggesting. She pulls out her Pokéball and throws. "Frostcicle, get out here now!" Frostcicle appears. "Go help Ash!"

Frostcicle looks over to see Ash and nods. It then floats across the water out to where Ash is.

Ash looks to Mahemoth and explains, "Alright Mahemoth, I can save you, but you need to trust me. I'm going to have to freeze you again."

Mahemoth's eyes go wide with even greater panic. It doesn't seem to like this idea at all.

"I know there's nothing you want less than to be frozen again, and I hate to do it to you, but it's the only way I can get you back to shore. Do you trust me Mahemoth?"

Mahemoth pauses for just a moment, and then it nods. Immediately it returns to flailing about, attempting to keep afloat.

Ash nods. "Alright Frostcicle, use your Icy Wind."

Frostcicle immediately uses its attack on Mahemoth, causing the water around it to begin to turn to ice. Slowly but surely, Mahemoth is entirely encased in ice. Now being entirely frozen, the ice around allows it float.

Everyone breathes a collective sigh of relief.

A little while later, they've managed to get Mahemoth back to shore. Ash, in soaking wet clothes, asks Pikachu, "Alright, can you break it free with Iron Tail?"

Pikachu nods. It leaps at the ice and attack. "Chu pika!" It slams its tail down on the ice, causing it all to shatter apart.

Mahemoth looks around with dismay. Once it realizes what has happened, it happily trumpets, "Maaaaaheeeemoooth!"

Ash smiles. "Welcome home, Mahemoth."

Mahemoth goes silent for a moment. Then it smiles and nods. "Hemoth."

Ash chuckles to himself and comments, "Now if only the Versal gym leader would be home for once."

Halley does a double take. "Did you just mention the Versal gym leader?"

Ash nods. "Yeah, we've been to Versal City twice now trying to challenge him, but he hasn't been their either time."

Halley begins to laugh.

Ash is confused. "I don't see what's so funny."

"The funny thing is that I'm the Versal gym leader."

"What!? You're the Versal gym leader!?"

"Indeed I am. I suppose I must apologize, but this here Mahemoth has been keeping me away from my gym. I'll tell you what. Why don't we help Mahemoth here get acclimated to living on Frostover Island, then we'll head back to mainland and I'll accept your challenge."

Ash smiles. "That would be great. I'm ready for it!" Suddenly he sneezes.

Brock says, "Bless you. Maybe you're not so ready. That freezing water may have given you a cold."

Ash looks mortified. "No…I can't wait any longer! I can't get sick now!"

Everyone, including Mahemoth laugh at Ash.

_It can't be easy learning that everything you know has completely changed, but having good friends must be a great comfort in such a time. And as Mahemoth has the greatest friends, it certainly will be fine moving forward, as it explores this new world, and the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	63. Episode 63: Retro Rocket

Episode 63: Retro Rocket

Team Rocket is waiting behind a dumpster near the Versal City docks. Jessie complains, "Man…this stinks…"

Meowth asks snidely, "What? You or the dumpster?" This angers Jessie.

Before she can retort, James asserts, "Calm down, you two. I have valuable intel telling me that the twerps are going to arrive here at these docks any moment now. The moment they step off of that boat, we pounce and Pikachu will be ours once and for all."

Meowth points ahead. "Speak of the devil…"

James looks ahead to see Ash, Brock, and Brenda stepping off a boat that has just docked. He nods. "See? Just as I said. Now, on the count of three we jump. One…two…" Then off the boat and into sight comes Halley. James freezes up. "It can't be…"

Ash can be heard saying to Halley, "So we'll meet at your gym, right?"

Halley nods. "I'll meet you at the gym, and then we'll finally have that gym battle."

Jessie tries to get James attention by waving her hand in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to James, come in James. The twerps are leaving, we're going to miss our chance."

James completely ignores her. He asks in shock, "How is this possible…?" Suddenly from his pockets, he produces a deck of trading cards. He begins to look through them. The cards all seem to have pictures of various members of Team Rocket, including Butch, Cassidy, Dr. Namba, Attila, Hun, Annie, Oakley, Dr. Zegar, Pierce, and even Giovanni himself. He frantically looks for a specific card.

Jessie and Meowth lean over his shoulder and peek at his cards. Meowth comments, "Ooh, Official Team Rocket Trading Cards. Hey, you got any Meowth in there?"

Jessie adds, "Or how about a Jessie card? I bet it's printed only in Super Ultra Secret Holographic Rare edition."

James scoffs at the idea of those cards. "Jessie and Meowth cards!? No serious collector would ever be caught dead with those in their collection. They're the most common of the common." Jessie is just about to object, when James finds what he's looking for and cuts her off by exclaiming, "This is it!"

Jessie and Meowth lean in close to observe the card. Meowth asks, "Hey…isn't that…?"

The card is shown. The image on the card is that of a younger Halley. He's wearing a heavy jacket that's black in color with a big Team Rocket R on its front.

Jessie says, "That's that gym leader the twerps were with. What's a gym leader doing in your Team Rocket trading cards?"

James says morbidly, "Because he used to be a Team Rocket operative…he used to be the best…"

* * *

James is now running through the streets of Versal. Jessie and Meowth chase after him. Jessie shouts, "Hold up, James! Where are you going!?"

Meowth complains, "And do you have to go there in such a hurry?"

James answers back, "I'm getting answers. I need answers." He approaches the Versal Gym, climbs its stairs, and bursts through the doors. He shouts, "Stop everything!"

Inside the gym, Ash and Halley have each taken positions on either side of the field. It looks like they're just about to start their battle. Ash looks to James and demands, "Team Rocket!? What do you think you're doing!?"

Halley, whose back is to James, opens his eyes wide. "Team…Rocket…?" He slowly turns around to see James.

At this point, Jessie and Meowth catch up with James and begin to pant once they do. James asserts, "Yes, I am James, loyal member of Team Rocket, unlike some. Isn't that right…Frostbite?"

Halley sighs. "I haven't heard that name in a long time…"

Ash asks, "What is this? What's going on here?"

Meowth says, "Yeah, I'm with the Twerp. Could someone fill me in on what's going on here?"

James points accusingly at Halley. "I'll tell you what's going on here. It's him. Before he was a gym leader, he was known as Frostbite. He was one of the greatest Team Rocket operatives to ever live. He was known as the ultimate survivalist, and could take on any type of extreme weather, especially the cold. But then, one day, he disappeared into artic, never to be heard of again. Of course, there were rumors that he survived. After all, how could Team Rocket's number one cold weather expert fail a mission in his own element? But never did I imagine that you were a deserter! How could you!?"

Halley sighs, uncertain of how to respond. Ash asks, "Halley…is that true? Were you really part of Team Rocket?"

Halley slowly nods. "Yes, it is. I am not proud of my past, but I will not deny it." He looks up to James. "I don't expect you to understand my reasoning. I had to get out of Team Rocket, and the only choice I had was to fake my death and move far away from the Kanto Region. I had always thought that the Tenno Region would be safe from Team Rocket."

James shouts with anger, "Of course I don't understand! You were my hero when I was in the academy! I looked up to you and aspired to be like you! I was devastated when I heard the news of your demise! To see you here, alive and well, as a gym leader of all things, has shown me that everything I ever thought about you was a lie!" He clenches his fist. "You know what? If you want to pretend to be a gym leader, then I challenge you to a gym battle!"

Jessie, Meowth, Ash, Brock, and Brenda all give a collective gasp. Brenda asks in disbelief, "James is going to have a gym battle!?"

Meowth and Jessie both ask, "James is going to have a legitimate battle!?"

Halley nods. "I accept."

Ash suddenly objects, "Wait, but what about our battle?"

Halley turns back to Ash. "I'm sorry Ash, but our battle is going to need to wait. I hope you understand."

Ash nods. "Of course." He steps off to the side towards the bleachers and sits down next to Brock and Brenda. "Well…at least this should be interesting."

Brock nods. "That's for sure."

James steps up to his position on the battlefield. James and Meowth walk over to the bleachers as well and sit down. For a tense and awkward moment, the two groups stare at each other. Finally, Meowth offers, "Look twerps, we're just here to watch James mess- I mean we're here to support James. So why don't why all just sit back and watch this battle peacefully."

Ash nods dubiously. "Alright…I suppose…"

Halley looks to James and says, "Name your rules. We'll battle accordingly."

James nods. "In that case, we'll each use two Pokémon. If both are knocked out, you lose."

Halley nods. "I agree to those rules."

The referee then declares, "Alright then, if both sides have agreed on the rules, then this battle between the challenger, James of Team Rocket, and the gym leader, Halley, can get underway. Battle begin!"

Halley throws a Pokéball first. "Go, Frostcicle!" A Frostcicle appears.

Brenda exclaims, "Hey, Halley has a Frostcicle too!"

Jessie mocks, "Ooh, that gym leader has the same Pokémon you do, so exciting!"

Brenda scowls at her.

Now James throws his Pokéball. "Go, Ivine!" Ivine appears, and the moment it does, it turns around and leaps for James' face. However, before it can grab a hold and give James a hug, James extends a hand and blocks it. "No Ivine, this battle is serious. There's no time for messing around."

Ivine lands on the ground. It looks up to James and sees the serious look on his face. It nods in understanding. "Ivine."

James returns his attention to Halley and orders, "Ivine, use Ivy Whip!" Ivine extends tendrils from its body and lashes them at Frostcicle.

Halley quickly orders, "Use Acid Armor, Frostcicle!" Frostcicle suddenly melts into a mass of water. Ivine's vine moves straight through the water. Frostcicle then reforms, appearing completely unharmed.

James grunts in annoyance. He quickly orders, "Ivine, move in close for a Poison Jab!" Ivine leaps up at Frostcicle.

Halley is once again ready. "Use Blizzard." Frostcicle summons an intense storm of icy wind, which forces Ivine back before it can attack. Ivine struggles against the wind.

James shouts with the utmost determination, "Ivine, fight back with Mega Drain!" Ivine firmly plants its feet and begins to sap energy out of Frostcicle with green tendrils of energy.

Frostcicle cries out in pain, "Frost!"

Halley grimaces. "Frostcicle, stop its attack with Icicle Spear!" Frostcicle manages to reorient itself so that the points at its bottom are pointed at Ivine. It then begins to fire a barrage of icicles at Ivine.

James thinks fast and orders, "Block it with Ivy Whip!" Ivine immediately ceases its life-draining attack and lashes the incoming icicles with its vines. The icicles are knocked right out of the air before they can cause any damage. Both Pokémon are now left staring at each other. Likewise, the two battlers gaze intensely at one another.

Brenda comments, "Wow, James seems to be battling much better than he does when he fights us."

Jessie turns to her and fumes, "Is that supposed to be some sort of insult to us?"

Brenda holds up her hands in defense and shakes her head in denial. "Oh no, not at all. Not in the slightest. In fact, it was a compliment."

Jessie nods with satisfaction. "I see. If that's the case, then you may continue complimenting."

Brenda and Ash look to each other and exchange wordless expressions depicting how awkward they feel.

Halley breaks the silence when he says, "You battle well."

James asserts, "It's because I have all the elite training of a Team Rocket operative that I have."

Brenda begins to question, "Elite training?" with a chuckle, but stops when Jessie gives her an angry stare.

James continues, "And I have no doubt that your battling skill is also due to that same training."

Halley nods with some regret. "Yes, I do owe a large part of my skill as a gym leader to those days. But they are behind me. I do not pretend the past doesn't exist."

James accuses, "We both know that's not true! Ivine, use Wring Out!" Ivine leaps at Frostcicle and unravels several vines from its body. It wraps those vines around Frostcicle, ensnaring it completely. It begins to use its vines to crush down on Frostcicle.

Halley reacts quickly and orders, "Frostcicle, use Frost Breath!" Frostcicle exhales a breath of super-chilled air. This freezing air that gathers around Ivine causes it immense pain, forcing it to release Frostcicle from its grip. Once it does this, Halley quickly orders, "Blizzard!" Frostcicle once more summons up a massive snowstorm, bombarding Ivine with snow and hail. This, right after the Frost Breath, is too much for Ivine, and it falls to the ground.

The referee declares, "Ivine is unable to battle!"

James scowls as he recalls Ivine to its Pokéball.

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**They were discovered a hundred years ago in an earthquake fissure. Inside each one is an energy core.**

* * *

Jessie sighs. "Of course James can't pull off a victory. Typical."

Wobbuffet appears and agrees, "Wobbuffet!"

Meowth suggests, "Hey, why don't you cut him some slack? He is fighting a gym leader after all. What's he supposed to do but lose?"

James asserts, "Don't count me out yet. I still have one more Pokémon." He pulls out his next Pokéball and takes good long stare at it. He says, "I know you can pull this off," before throwing the Pokéball and shouting, "Let's do this Haking!"

And his Haking appears, "Haking hak!"

Immediately getting into the battle, James orders, "Use Sludge Bomb, Haking!" Haking attacks with a globule of sludge sent at Frostcicle.

Reacting quickly, Halley orders, "Acid Armor, Frostcicle!" Frostcicle is just about melt into water when it suddenly cries out in pain. A faint purplish glow can be seen around it. The Sludge Bomb makes contact.

Jessie asks, "Hey, what was that?"

Brock begins to explain, "It seems like Frostcicle has been poisoned. It must have-"

Meowth interrupts, "Excuse me, but this is a question by a Team Rocket member about another Team Rocket member's battle. I'll answer the question, thank you very much."

Brock slowly nods. "Um…sure thing…"

Meowth then answers, "As Big Twerp said, Frostcicle has been poisoned. This was likely a result of Ivine's Poison Touch ability, which gives it the capability to poison an opposing Pokémon simply by touching it. That last Wring Out must have done the trick."

Taking advantage of his momentum, James then orders, "Alright Haking, go for a Tackle!" Haking rams itself into the still recovering Frostcicle, knocking it to the ground. Frostcicle attempts to get up, but fails.

The referee declares, "Frostcicle is unable to battle!"

Halley wordlessly returns Frostcicle to its Pokéball.

Ash muses, "Wow, this doesn't seem like the same James at all. He actually managed to defeat Frostcicle."

Jessie fumes, "Unfortunately, it seems he did." She then passes off what seems to be some money to Meowth.

Meowth happily takes the money and says smugly, "Thank you very much. That was a bet worth taking for sure."

Halley pulls out another Pokéball and throws it. Out of it emerges a curious Pokémon. Its main body is a small form of crystalline ice in a shape of a four-pointed star. Surrounding it is a glorious tail of fire.

Ash asks, "Woah, what's that Pokémon?" To answer the question, he pulls out his Pokédex.

It says, "Cosmet, the Comet Tail Pokémon and an Ice and Fire Combo-Type. This Pokémon's tail may burn at extremely high temperatures, but the ice that composes its main body is chilled to such low temperatures that it is impossible to melt. This unique trait allows it to survive the fall from space down to Earth. Does not evolve."

Ash marvels, "Wow, a Fire and Ice-Type at the same time? That's a new one."

James takes a good long look at the comet Pokémon. Then he nods. "It figures that you would use that Pokémon, it's the one that helped you on your rise to fame."

Halley nods. "Yes, this is the very same Cosmet that was my partner in Team Rocket, but just as I have cast aside my connections to Team Rocket, so too has Cosmet."

The Pokémon agrees, "Cosmet."

James asserts, "Once part of Team Rocket, always part of Team Rocket, stop denying your past!"

Halley hangs his head. "I don't deny my past. There's not a single day that I don't think back to those days and regret what I've done."

This comment angers James. "There's no reason you should regret your contributions to Team Rocket! They made you legendary!" In his anger, he orders, "Haking, use Sludge Bomb!"

Halley quickly counters, "Cosmet, use Flame Charge!" The flames surrounding Cosmet grow even stronger and burn brighter. It sends itself flying right at Haking. The heat of the attack causes the Sludge Bomb to sizzle away into nothing as Cosmet flies through it. It then rams right into Haking, causing it to cry out in pain.

James doesn't let this discourage him. "Haking, Poison Gas attack!" Haking lets a flow of poisonous gas out of its mouths.

Halley shouts, "Out of there quickly, Cosmet!" Cosmet manages to dash back out of the way of the attack before it has any effect.

James clenches his fists. "Haking, use Smokescreen!" Smoke begins to pour out of Haking's various holes and quickly covers the entire field in a vision-obscuring cloud of smoke. James grins confidently. "Now Haking, use Sludge Bomb!"

"Avoid it Cosmet!" Cosmet attempts to predict the direction from which the Sludge Bomb is coming, but due to the Smokescreen, it has no idea where it actually is. Suddenly the attack comes in from behind and Cosmet is unable to dodge it.

Off on the sidelines, Meowth asks anxiously, "What just happened? I can't see anything through this accursed smoke."

Jessie mocks, "Yeah, that's kind of the point of the Smokescreen attack, isn't it?"

Ash comments, "After being caught inside of that Smokescreen so many times, it's interesting to see it from the outside."

Riding off his victory, James orders, "Move around again and attack with another Sludge Bomb."

Not falling for the same trick twice, Halley orders, "Burn off that smoke with Flare Blitz!" Suddenly an intense light emanates from the center of the smoke. Then suddenly a massive explosion of fire emerges, burning away all the smoke, revealing Haking floating to its side. "Attack now, Cosmet!" Before Haking gets over the surprise of being spotted, Cosmet rams into it once more, this time with a massive cloak of white-hot fire surrounding it.

Haking is sent flying backwards. James asserts, "Use that Sludge Bomb anyways!" While still flying backwards, Haking unleashes its sludge-based attack.

Halley counters, "Use Ice Shard!" Cosmet generates crystals of ice in front of itself and launches them at Haking. The two attacks collide midfield and explode.

Immediately, both trainers order another attack. James orders, "Tackle!"

While Halley orders, "Flame Charge!" The two Pokémon fling themselves at each other and collide with massive force. Both Pokémon are knocked back to the ground. Halley encourages, "Get back up Cosmet."

James also encourages, "We're not done yet Haking, come on!" Both Pokémon begin to float up from the ground, but then, only a moment later, Haking falls back to the ground.

The referee raises a flag and declares, "Haking is unable to battle! That means the gym leader Halley is the winner!"

James hangs his head in shame.

Meowth says with surprise, "Wow…I was beginning to actually think he could win this…"

Ash says with disbelief, "I was even just starting to root for James…"

James recalls Haking. He clenches his fists in frustration.

Halley takes a deep breath and then says, "James…look, as I said before, I don't expect you to understand my reasons, but I do have them. Team Rocket just wasn't the path for me. I joined Team Rocket because they were looking for operatives for their artic base, and it was the only way I could find to get paid for my love cold weather. I embraced the job at first, but as time went on, I soon realized that it wasn't the life I was meant to lead. I may have inspired a generation of Team Rocket trainees, but that was never my intention. It certainly wasn't my intention to betray them. I am sorry I am not the man you looked up to. I realize how disconcerting it must be to meet a childhood hero, only to find that they are nothing like you expected. I do apologize for that, I really do."

James stands completely still, and completely silent. Then, with no warning, he turns around and runs out the door.

Seeing that he's done this, Jessie and Meowth quickly get up and run out after him, shouting, "Looks like Team Rocket's running off again!"

* * *

**It's Roggenrola!**

* * *

Sometime later, James is sitting alone on a sidewalk bench. He seems to be deep in contemplation. From his pocket, he pulls out a card. It's his Frostbite trading card. He rips it apart and lets the halves fly away in the breeze. Mime Jr. appears from its Pokéball and looks up to James. It questions, "Mime mime?"

James looks down to it and says solemnly, "Oh, Mime Jr., I didn't see you there." He takes a deep breath. "You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine…I think…"

Mime Jr. frowns, and then sits down on the bench next to James.

Next to come in is Jessie and Meowth. Jessie offers, "Hey James, we're about to go and try to steal the Twerp's Pikachu, you want to come and help us out?"

Meowth adds, "I've got a doozey of plan this time."

James shakes his head. "No thank you. You two go on without me; I've got some thinking to do."

Meowth shrugs. "Alright, suit yourself." The two walk off. As they do, Meowth can be heard saying, "Cool, this means I get James' part in the motto."

Jessie laughs and says, "Then I better be prepared for trouble."

Meowth responds, "You should make that double." They walk out of earshot.

Then a voice says, "James."

James, starting to sound annoyed, asks, "Can't I just get some-" He looks up to see that Halley is standing before him. James then says with resentment, "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?"

Halley takes a deep breath and then says, "There's something I want you to have. You ran off before I could give it to you." He pulls something out of his pocket and begins to hand it to James.

James puts a hand up to stop him. "Don't bother. I don't want anything you have to give me."

Halley sighs. "Look, just take it why don't you?" He forces it into James' hand.

James opens his hand and looks at what's in his palm. Mime Jr. leans in close to see what it is. Sitting in the palm of James' hand is a small metal symbol shaped like a comet. James looks up to Halley questioningly. "A gym badge? I didn't beat you."

Halley shakes his head. "No, you didn't, but that doesn't mean I can't give you a gym badge. As a gym leader, it is my job to assess the ability of trainers that come to me, and judge whether or not they are worthy of entering the Pokémon League. Normally that means seeing if they can beat me, but not always. Sometimes I see something in a trainer, even if they don't defeat me. I saw that something in you when we battled. I want you to take that gym badge, and I want you to think about why I'm giving it to you. Maybe, just maybe, you might come to understand my decision someday." With that, he turns around and walks away without another word.

James and Mime Jr. are left staring speechlessly at the gym badge.

_James learned the hard way today that it's hard for our childhood heroes to live up to the pedestal we've placed them on, but maybe he's also learned another, even more valuable, lesson from his battle with Halley. What that lesson is, we'll just have to wait and see, as the journey continues._

**To Be Continued…**


	64. Episode 64: Frost Fight

Episode 64: Frost Fight

Ash and Pikachu are sitting at a table in the Versal City Pokémon Center. Ash seems to have something on his mind. "I still can't believe that Halley actually used to be a member of Team Rocket…"

Pikachu agrees with a, "Pika…"

_We return to our hero to find him deep in contemplation. There's no doubt that the revelation of the Versal Gym Leader Halley's hidden past as an agent of Team Rocket is weighing heavily on his mind. Will this revealed secret have any effect on their planned gym battle?_

Brock walks by and stops when he sees Ash. He's dressed in his doctor's coat and is holding a tray of medicine, inferring he's helping the center's Nurse Joy. He asks, "What's wrong, Ash?"

Ash shrugs. "I don't know. I've just been thinking about the fact that I have my battle with Halley scheduled for tomorrow morning. I'm just not sure if I still want to battle him…you know…learning about his past."

Brock nods. "I understand. You're not sure if you want to support the idea of an ex-member of Team Rocket running a gym, and battling him would be doing exactly that."

Ash nods. "Exactly."

Brock thinks for a moment and then suggests. "I think you should do what feels right to you, but I also think you should see if you can find it in you to give Halley another chance. It's up to you." He stops and looks towards the door. "I think you'll get the chance to figure this out now." He turns around and heads back to Nurse Joy.

Ash looks back to where Brock looked and sees that Halley has just entered the building. He walks silently past Ash and up to the counter. Nurse Joy greets, "Good evening, Halley. I hope you had a good day."

Halley sighs. "Unfortunately I did not. I had some ghosts from my past come back to haunt me."

"Oh, that's unfortunate."

Halley nods. "Indeed it is." He pulls out two Pokéballs and hands them to Nurse Joy. "Please take care of these Pokémon for me."

Nurse Joy grins and nods. "Of course." She takes the Pokéballs and walks into the back room with them.

Halley turns around and immediately sees Ash watching him. Ash quickly turns around, trying to avoid being caught staring. It's too late though. Halley walks over to Ash and asks, "Mind if I take a seat?"

Ash nods. "Go ahead." Halley takes a seat across the table from Ash.

He asks, "So you know all about Team Rocket already?"

Ash nods. "Those three you saw today follow me everywhere. I've encountered others as well."

Halley nods slowly. "I see." The two sit with an awkward silence for a few moments. Halley finally breaks the silence by saying, "I know you don't approve of my past, I certainly don't either. I ask you one favor though. Give this old man a second chance. You certainly don't owe it to me, and I have no right to ask it of you, but please at least think about it. I'll be waiting for you at my gym tomorrow morning. If you decide to give me that chance, show up and we'll have our gym battle. If you decide not to, don't show up. I certainly won't hold it against you, I lost that right when I signed up for Team Rocket." Without another word, he gets up, picks up his Pokéballs from Nurse Joy, and exits the building, leaving Ash to contemplate further.

* * *

It's the next morning. Halley is standing on his side of the battlefield. The opposing side is empty. The referee standing in his position asks, "Sir, is the challenger going to show up?"

Halley looks to a clock and sighs. "I suppose not, or he would have been here by now. Sorry I called you in for nothing, you can leave now."

The referee begins to step down from his platform, just as the front doors swing open and Ash declares, "Sorry I'm late. Are you ready for our battle, Halley?"

Halley grins. "I'm all ready to go. Let's do this."

Ash, followed by Brock and Brenda, enter the gym. Ash takes his position across from Halley and Brock and Brenda sit on the bleachers.

The referee returns to his position and declares, "Well then, in that case, the battle between Ash the challenger and Halley the Versal Gym Leader is about to begin. Each trainer may use three Pokémon. In addition, only the challenger may substitute Pokémon. Are these rules understood?"

Ash nods. "You bet."

"In that case, battle begin!"

Halley pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Go, Frostcicle!"

Ash pulls out a Pokéball as well. "Arborrior, I chose you!"

Arborrior appears and declares with energy, "Arborrrrrior!" It hops from foot to foot and takes several practice punches as a boxer might.

Brenda chuckles, "Ash's first Pokémon, and it already has a type disadvantage. Leave it to Ash to take the hard route."

Brock points out, "Let's not forget that Arborrior is part Fighting-Type as well as Grass. Not only that, but it knows Fire Punch, which is both a Fire and Fighting-Type move at the same time, making it four times as effective against an Ice-Type like Frostcicle."

Brenda thinks it over and nods. "Hmm…I guess I wasn't giving Ash enough credit, maybe he has thought this through."

Ash leaps into battle and orders, "Arborrior, use Fire Punch!" Arborrior's fist becomes cloaked in flames and it lunges towards Frostcicle.

Halley quickly counters, "Acid Armor!" Frostcicle melts into water and Arborrior's fist travels right through the floating mass of water, and is extinguished along the way.

Ash seems ready for this though, and immediately orders, "Use Wood Hammer now!" Still in the water, Arborrior creates its stump-hammer and swings it right through the melted Frostcicle. Water is sprayed all over the battlefield. It all begins to move in towards a central point and begins to refreeze into Frostcicle. As soon as Frostcicle begins to take form, Ash commands, "Fire Punch again!" Still gathering itself, Frostcicle is unable to dodge. The attack lands, knocking the now fully reformed Frostcicle back towards Halley.

Halley nods in approval. "That was a clever move, Ash."

Ash grins. "After seeing your battle with James I knew I had to come up with a way to counter your Acid Armor, so that's what I did."

"I see. Don't think that we'll let that stop us though. Blizzard, let's go!"

"I wouldn't expect it to. Arborrior, let's turn up the heat! Full scale Fire Punch!" Just as Frostcicle is creating a massive snowstorm and blowing it at Arborrior, Arborrior is generating another fist of fire. "Great, now use Razor Leaf!" Holding its burning fist in front of its face, Arborrior flings its razor-like leaves forward, right through the fire of its fist, creating burning Razor Leaves. The burning leaves get caught up in the wind of the Blizzard, and begin blowing around everywhere. Frostcicle may be unaffected by the snow and wind, but the storm carries several burning leaves right at it. The combination attack impacts its target and forces Frostcicle to stop the Blizzard.

Brock marvels, "Wow, that worked perfectly!"

Seeing that his plan has worked, Ash grins. "Now Arborrior, Fire Punch!" Arborrior lunges once more at Frostcicle. Still surprised from the fiery Razor Leaf, Frostcicle doesn't have a chance to dodge and the attack lands. Frostcicle falls to the floor.

The referee raises a flag and declares, "Frostcicle is unable to battle!"

Ash and Arborrior both celebrate. Arborrior does so by throwing three jabs and then leaping into the air with an uppercut.

Brenda says with surprise, "Wow, Ash just beat his Frostcicle like it was nothing. That was crazy!"

Brock nods in agreement. "Yeah, seeing Halley battle yesterday must have really helped Ash figure out a strategy. He was ready for everything Frostcicle could send at him."

Halley recalls Frostcicle. He then smiles.

* * *

Jessie, James, and Meowth are crouching behind a sidewalk bench and looking across the street. Jessie asks James, "Are you certain about this?"

James nods. "Yes. I saw Halley come out of there this morning on the way to his gym. That must be his house. Having been Rocket Agent Frostbite, he must have a treasure-trove of valuable Team Rocket artifacts, and if he's not going to put them to good use, then why shouldn't we?"

Meowth nods. "Sounds good to me. Let's do it."

James nods back. "Now all we need is a plan of attack."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon gives over five gallons of milk on a daily basis. Its sweet milk is enjoyed by children and grown-ups alike. People who can't drink milk turn it into yogurt and eat it instead.**

* * *

Still smiling, Halley says to Ash, "Perhaps it was a mistake to allow you to watch my battle yesterday. You sure used it to your advantage."

Ash shrugs and grins. "Hey, your loss is my gain."

Halley nods. "Indeed. Well, let's see how you do against this one. You never saw it battle yet." He pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Beetundra, go!"

Out of the Pokéball appears a white and light-blue beetle Pokémon. Its carapace seems to glisten like ice. Also appearing with it is a large snowball twice the size of the Pokémon itself. The Pokémon holds the snowball in place with its hind legs.

The appearance of the new Pokémon prompts Ash to pull out his Pokédex. "Beetundra, the Snow Roller Pokémon and a Bug and Ice Combo-Type. This Pokémon will never be caught without its snowball, which it creates in artic plains, using only the highest quality of snow. Inside the snowball, Beetundra will store its food in a frozen state. Evolves from Artick at level 17 and into Carapice at level 39."

Brenda asks, "So that Pokémon is always rolling a snowball around? That's strange."

Brock nods in agreement. "It goes to show the sheer variety of Pokémon that can be found in this world."

Ash asks, "Arborrior, are you up for round two?"

Arborrior declares, "Arboooorrior!" in excitement.

Ash nods. "Alright, here we go! Fire Punch!"

Halley grins. "There's no way we're letting that move get to us again! Beetundra, use Ice Ball!" Beetundra leaps up onto its snowball and begins to run on top of it. This running causes the snowball to roll right at Arborrior, who is running at Beetundra with a fist of fire. Just as Arborrior is about to punch at the rolling snow beetle, Beetundra displays an example of masterful maneuvering at rolls just far enough to the side to avoid the attack. It then continues forwards and rams right into Arborrior, knocking it to the ground then rolling right over it. Beetundra then turns its ball around and rolls in for a second pass.

Ash shouts, "Get up and use Low Sweep to stop its rolling!" Arborrior leaps back up and attempts to kick at the snowball. Once again, Beetundra manages to maneuver its snowball around the attack and veer last minute back into Arborrior, rolling over it again. Arborrior is left knocked out and Beetundra is now rolling extremely fast.

The referee declares, "Arborrior is unable to battle!"

Brock comments, "This isn't good."

Brenda asks, "What do you mean?"

"The move Ice Ball allows the user to continuously attack, and the attack gets stronger and stronger the longer its used. If Ash is having such trouble stopping the attack now, it will only get harder for him as this goes on."

* * *

**It's Miltank!**

* * *

Team Rocket is huddled outside of the building they have identified as Halley's house. James encourages, "Alright Meowth, do your thing."

Meowth nods. "Doing my thing now." He extends one of his claws and begins to pick the lock. After fiddling around for a few moments, a sudden cracking sound is heard. Meowth freezes up.

Jessie asks, "What was that?"

Meowth answers with fear, "There are two possibilities. Either the lock mechanism cracked…or my nail did…" Slowly he pulls out his claw, revealing that it has cracked and is now hanging by a thread. Meowth begins to whimper.

James asserts, "Oh, be quiet you crybaby. You've got five more good nails, just use those instead. We need to recover those relics for the glory of Team Rocket!"

Jessie adds, "And our wallets!"

Meowth groans. "What have I gotten myself into this time…?"

* * *

Ash recalls Arborrior. Beetundra is continuing to roll around the field in circles in order to keep up its momentum. Ash contemplates his next move for a moment and then pulls out another Pokéball. "Alright then, let's try this out. Turtsol, I chose you!"

"Turtsol!"

Ash encourages, "Alright Turtsol, we've got a tough battle ahead of us. Are you ready?"

Turtsol breathes a breath of fire and declares, "Turtsol!" once more to show it's ready.

Ash smiles with determination. "Alright then! Use Flamethrower!" Turtsol sends a burst of fire at the still rolling Beetundra.

Halley orders, "Swerve now!" Once again showing off its fine control, Beetundra rolls its ball off towards the side in order to dodge the fire. It then rolls straight at Turtsol.

Brenda covers her eyes. "I can't watch."

Ash doesn't seemed worried at all though. "Turtsol, use Rapid Spin!" Turtsol pulls itself into its shell and begins to spin. Ash grins. "Alright, let it rip!" The rapidly spinning Turtsol hurls itself at the incoming rolling Beetundra. The two Pokémon ram into each other and bounce backwards. Beetundra has to work quickly to make sure it maintains its balance atop the ball.

Brenda peeks through her fingers to see that Ash has managed to counter the attack.

Ash declares, "That almost worked! Try again Turtsol, this time give it all you've got!" The two Pokémon charge towards each other once more. This time Turtsol is moving at much higher speeds. When the two Pokémon collide, they are knocked back once more. This time there is so much force involved that Beetundra is knocked right off of its snowball and flung to the ground.

The grounded beetle Pokémon quickly recovers from the fall. It suddenly looks around anxiously and notices in a panic that it's now on the opposite side of the field from its snowball. Turtsol has quickly repositioned itself to be between the Pokémon and its snowball.

Brenda cheers, "Yeah, Ash separated Beetundra from its snowball! This battle should be easy now!"

Brock shakes his head doubtfully. "Unlikely. There are many things you don't want to do to a Pokémon, and separating a Beetundra from its snowball is one of those things. Beetundra becomes quite dangerous when trying to recover its snowball."

Brenda nods in understanding. "So Ash and Turtsol had better be careful…"

Brock nods. "Definitely."

Halley commands, "Let's get Turtsol out of the way! Use Avalanche!"

Beetundra shrieks, "Beeeeeeeet!" and causes a massive mound of snow and ice to appear above it. It then causes this buildup of snow and ice to fly straight at Turtsol.

Ash is forced to think fast. He quickly orders, "Turtsol, Rapid Spin and then Flamethrower in place!" Turtsol begins to rotate around again. Then, out of the arm, leg, and head holes of its shell, fire begins to pour out. The spinning motion of the Rapid Spin causes a fiery tornado to manifest around Turtsol. This firestorm causes the Avalanche attack to melt and then evaporate into steam before it can cause any harm to Turtsol.

Brenda gets up and exclaims, "That's that Counter Shield thing!" She has a flashback to Ash's battle with May in the Wallace Cup where Ash has Pikachu spin while using Thunderbolt to block an attack from May's Blastoise. She marvels, "It works even outside of contests."

Brock nods. "That's the idea. It's an adaptation of a contest technique into the realm of battles."

Halley appears impressed. "Wow, what a move."

Ash smiles. "Thanks. Turtsol and I worked hard to make sure we could pull off that one." Taking advantage of his momentum, Ash commands, "Now out of your shell and use Flamethrower!" Turtsol immediately stops spinning and attacks Beetundra with a powerful breath of fire.

Halley declares, "Alright Beetundra, it's all or nothing! Use Sheer Cold!"

Brock gasps. "Sheer Cold!? If that move makes contact, it's all over for Turtsol!"

Brenda objects with disbelief, "But Turtsol hasn't even been hit yet!"

"It doesn't matter. That's how powerful of a move Sheer Cold is."

A blast of super-chilled air is released from Beetundra's body. It is directed at Turtsol. Turtsol's Flamethrower makes contact with this chilled air and flies right through it. The chilled air continues at Turtsol and the Flamethrower continues at Beetundra. Both attacks hit their mark and both Pokémon faint.

The referee raises both of his flags and declares, "Both Turtsol and Beetundra are unable to battle!"

Both sides recall their Pokémon. Beetundra's snowball is pulled into the Pokéball as well.

* * *

A click is heard and Meowth declares, "There, the lock has been picked." He then sighs in exasperation and looks down to his paws. Most of his claws have been snapped off.

James declares, "Perfect. Now all that stands between us and that trove of Team Rocket treasure is this closed door."

Jessie eagerly urges, "Open it, then!"

James nods and turns the doorknob. They all step inside. The room inside is dimly lit, and nothing can be seen. They look around trying to find something. Meowth finds something, but not what they were looking for. He nervously points to the wall next to the door. "Um…James…what was that you said about nothing standing in our way?"

"I said that that door was all that stood in our way."

Meowth nods. "Right. Well did you consider that there might be security system in our way as well?"

James shakes his head. "Why no I didn't. Why do you ask?"

"Call it a hunch…" James and Jessie look towards where Meowth is pointing. On the wall is a small box. They all freeze up and gulp.

An electronic voice declares, "You have 10 seconds to either enter the security code or exit the premises." Team Rocket all panic and rush outside. The door shuts behind them. As it does, the click of the door locking itself can be heard.

Upon hearing this sound, they all freeze up again. Meowth looks down to his paws and sighs. "Oi vey…"

* * *

Ash compliments, "Wow Halley, that was great. You put it all on the line with that last attack and it payed off."

Halley nods. "I suppose so. It's not that often that someone manages to knock Beetundra off its ball. As a member of Team Rocket, I was taught to be cold and calculating. Excuse me for the pun, but I think it made me become too cold. Watching you battle has helped me warm up. You are the one who inspired me to battle in such a way."

Ash grins. "Glad I could help you out. Now, we both have only one Pokémon left. Are you ready for this?"

Halley grins back. "I sure am." He pulls out a Pokéball. "Go, Cosmet!"

Ash looks to Pikachu and says, "Alright Pikachu, I saved you for last. Are you ready?"

Pikachu affirms, "Chu." It hops off of Ash's shoulder and lands on the field in front of Ash.

Halley leaps into battle and orders, "Flame Charge, Cosmet!"

"Coooosmet!" The fiery tail around Cosmet's body flares up. With high speed, it flies towards Pikachu.

Ash quickly commands, "Pikachu, use Quick Attack to dodge!" Pikachu dodges to the side with a burst of speed.

Halley declares, "Flame Charge again!" Cosmet performs a 180 and heads right back at Pikachu. Pikachu attempts to dodge again, but Cosmet is too fast and its attack lands.

Brenda objects, "Hey, what gives? Pikachu was plenty fast enough to dodge the last attack."

Brock explains, "Pikachu isn't getting slower, Cosmet is getting faster. That's what Flame Charge does, it boosts the speed of the user. If it keeps up like this, Cosmet is going to get too fast for Ash to handle."

Ash says to Pikachu, "Okay, looks like we're not going to be able to win this battle with our speed. Let's try some power instead. Use Iron Tail!"

Halley orders, "Use Giga Impact!" Cosmet flies up into the air and then plummets down towards Pikachu with a massive cloak of energy around it.

Pikachu leaps up into the air and swings its tail at the incoming Pokémon. "Chuuu pika!" The Giga Impact is too powerful for Pikachu's Iron Tail to overcome, and Pikachu is hit by the attack and flung to the ground.

Ash shouts with worry, "Pikachu!"

Pikachu, showing signs of pain, slowly gets back up. It looks towards Ash and gives a look of confidence that shows it's good to keep on going.

Ash grins. "Great, we're not done yet."

Halley declares, "We're not done yet either. Use Ice Shard, Cosmet!"

"Thunderbolt, let's go!"

"Pikaaa chuuuuuu!"

"Cooooosmet!" The two ranged attacks collide. Pikachu's Thunderbolt causes the Ice Shards to shatter into harmless pieces.

Halley immediately orders, "Back to Flame Charge!"

Cosmet flies out of the dissipating attacks and towards Pikachu. Ash thinks quickly and orders, "Move it out of the way with Iron Tail!"

"Chuuu pika!" Pikachu spins around and catches the incoming Cosmet with it the crook of its tail, then spins around again, flinging the incoming comet Pokémon away.

Seeing Cosmet helplessly flying away, Ash takes the chance and orders, "Alright, now use Hallowed Lightning!"

Pikachu begins to charge energy. "Pikaaa… pikaaa… chu!" It unleashes a massive orb of electricity at the tumbling Pokémon. The moment the attack makes contact, a bolt of lightning comes down and strikes Cosmet, dealing massive damage.

Brenda cheers, "Alright!"

However, when the aftermath of the attack clears, Cosmet is still floating. Ash and Pikachu are both surprised. "Pika!?"

Halley declares, "Alright Cosmet, Pikachu can't move now that it has used Hallowed Lightning. Let's finish this off with a Giga Impact!" Cosmet climbs up into the air as high as it can get, and then becomes cloaked in a massive field of energy. It plummets down towards Pikachu.

Pikachu tries to move out of the way, but several electric sparks are emitted from its body and it is unable to move.

Watching the Giga Impact closely, Brock comments, "If this attack lands, it's all over for Ash. There's no way Pikachu could take another hit from a Giga Impact, let alone a direct hit from one."

Brenda worries, "And Pikachu can't move to dodge. Oh no…"

Ash clenches his fists and watches the battlefield carefully. Everything seems to slow down in the battle as Ash pays close attention. The Giga Impact gets closer and closer to Pikachu. Ash observes Pikachu especially carefully. He notices the sparks of electricity that display Pikachu's inability to move. He continues to watch until he notices it. The sparks around Pikachu stop. Ash grins with confidence. Still in slow motion, Ash orders, "Once more, Hallowed Lightning!"

The slow motion continuing, Pikachu charges. "Pikaaa… pikaaaa… chu!" Just as Pikachu is unleashing its charged energy, the Giga Impact is a mere foot away from it. The two attacks move at each other in slow motion. Brock and Brenda gasp in anticipation. Ash and Halley both watch closely to see the outcome. The attacks collide. The force of Pikachu's attack is so strong, that it actually knocks Cosmet out of its cloak of energy and into the wall. The energy quickly dissipates mere moments before hitting Pikachu. Pikachu breathes a sigh of relief.

Everyone looks towards Cosmet to see the result. It's on the ground, unable to move. The referee declares, "Cosmet is unable to battle! That means that Ash the challenger is the winner!"

Ash leaps up in victory. "We did it!"

Brenda and Brock both jump up and cheer, "He did it!"

Halley grins and, sounding impressed, says to himself, "He did it."

* * *

Meowth is leaning in towards the security system. A light on it turns from red to green. He declares, "There, it may have taken four tries, but the door is unlocked, and the security system is disarmed. We're in."

James smiles with pleasure. "Perfect. Now to see what treasures this place holds." He flips a light switch on, casting light throughout the room. Jessie, James, and Meowth all gasp.

The room around them is full of exercise equipment. It looks more like a place to work out than a home.

Meowth, with suppressed anger, asks, "James?"

Fearing what's coming, James answers, "Yes…"

"Did you actually have any confirmation that this was Halley's house?"

James slowly shakes his head. "No…I just saw him come out of here this morning."

Meowth grabs James and begins to violently shake him. "Yeah! On his way back from his morning workout!" He leaps up to scratch James face, but has absolutely no effect due to his broken nails. "I broke all of my claws for this!" He's about to try to attack in some other way, when he hears a voice and freezes up.

The voice, which is just outside the door, says, "This is it Officer Jenny, this is where I saw the suspicious activity."

Jessie, James, and Meowth all slowly look towards each other. Then, in a panic, they all run out the door at once. On the way, they push right past Officer Jenny, knocking her out of the way. They all shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's running from the law again!"

Officer Jenny is left completely stunned.

* * *

Ash, Pikachu, Turtsol, and Arborrior are standing with Halley in front of his gym. Halley says, "Ash, that truly was a wonderful battle. I may have a troubled past, but it does my heart good to see young trainers like you battling Pokémon for all of the right reasons. While you won this battle, I felt like this day was also a victory for me."

Ash grins. "I was wrong about you, Halley. You may have used to be a part of Team Rocket, but by battling you I've been able to see your true side, the side untainted by Team Rocket."

Halley nods. "That's the great thing about battling. On the surface, it seems like a way to put trainers in conflict with one another, but that is not the purpose. Battling is a way for two trainers to connect on a whole different level. It allows them to understand each other on a whole other level. Pokémon battling is a beautiful thing. Groups like Team Rocket ruin its purity. That is the reason I left. And now that you and I understand each other, I have something to give to you." He holds out a Comet Badge, like the one he gave to James, in an open palm. "It's a Comet Badge.

Ash takes the badge, looks at it for just a moment and then holds it up in triumph. "Yeah, I just got a Comet Badge!"

"Pik pikachu!"

"Turtsol!"

"Arborrrrrior!"

_When two trainers meet in battle, their minds become one with their Pokémon, but their hearts become one with their opponent. Wise words from a wise man indeed. And with four gym badges to his name, Ash is now half-way to the Tenno League. What lies ahead? Find out next time, as the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	65. Episode 65: Fight and Flight

**Author's Note: Well...it's been over two months since I posted my last episode, and honestly, I don't know how it took that long. I had an extremely busy summer, and for one reason or another, writing episodes kept on getting put off. Don't worry though, I am not dead, nor am I letting Cosmic Quest die. Now that summer is over, I should have much more time to write again, and should soon return to a normal schedule. Sorry it took so long for this episode.**

* * *

Episode 65: Fight and Flight

Brenda squeals with joy. She's on the videophone in a Pokémon Center with her mom. She exclaims with joy, "I can't believe I forgot about that! I can't miss it! I've gone to every single one for seven years!"

Her mom replies, "If that's how you feel, then you'd better head on back, and fast. You don't have much longer until it starts."

Brenda nods. "I'll be there. You can count on it." They hang up and Brenda walks over to Ash and Brock who are sitting at a table and talking.

_Having just prevailed at the Versal City Gym, it is time for our heroes to contemplate their next move. Who knows where their journey might take them next?_

Ash asks, "So where should we head next, Brock?"

Brock thinks for a moment and then consults his Pokéssistant. "I'm not sure. We're not currently near any other gyms that you haven't been to yet. We've kind of worked our way into a corner of the region."

Brenda approaches them and suggests, "Hey…I've got a suggestion."

Ash looks up to her. "Oh yeah, what is it?"

She pauses reluctantly and then says, "Well…you see…there's this thing I want to do. It's kind of a tradition of mine and I'd like to continue it."

Brock asks, "Alright, what is it?"

"Well, every year Professor Pine hosts a special space camp. It's like a summer camp, but with a space theme. You get to do a lot of fun activities with Pokémon. It's the reason I wanted to go on a Pokémon journey. This year's is coming up, so I was hoping to attend this year."

Ash smiles. "That sounds awesome! I'd be up for that!"

Pikachu agrees, "Pika!"

Brock asks, "Where is it?"

"Yeah…that's the problem. It's at Launch Town."

Ash exclaims with disbelief, "What!? Launch Town!? That's all the way back where we started! We can't go back that far!"

Brenda sighs. "I was afraid you would say that…"

Brock looks down at his Pokéssistant. "Wait a second, that may not be that bad of an option, Ash. According to my news feed, the debris from the rockslide in the Crater Gate has finally been fully cleared away, and path to Crater Town has been reopened. Since Crater Gate is right near Launch Town, we could go to the Crater Town Gym after Brenda's space camp."

Ash thinks for a moment. "Huh…we couldn't get to that gym before, but now we can. If that's the case, we need to go back there anyways. Alright Brenda, let's do it."

Brenda looks up excitedly. "Really!?"

"You bet!"

Brock nods. "Alright then, that just leaves the question of how we're going to get all the way back to Launch Town. I suppose that Versal City is a port city, so maybe we could catch a boat. All we would need is passage back to Tenno Minor, and then we could walk the rest of the way."

Ash asks, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go find a boat!" He and Brock both get up to leave.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking along the ocean's edge. They notice a sailor ahead of them. Brock calls out, "Excuse me, we're looking for a boat to take us to Tenno Minor, do you know if there are any here that can take us?"

The sailor looks over to them. "I'm sorry, but the only boat for Tenno Minor just left yesterday. Another one won't be leaving for another month. There's just no demand for boats there." The sailor then walks away.

Brenda asks, "But if there are no boats, how are we supposed to get back in time?"

Brock stops and thinks. "I don't know. There would be boats for sure for us to take back in Kanaveral City, but there's no way we could walk all the way there in time. We need some alternate form of transportation back to Tenno Minor."

Then a voice chimes in, "So you need transport to Tenno Minor. I might just have a solution for you."

The three turn around to see an older man standing behind them. He's dressed in a brown leather aviator's coat and cap. Brenda asks, "Do you really?"

He nods. "Yes, it just so happens that I'm just about to fly all the way to Tenno Minor, and I don't think I'd have any problem with taking on three passengers."

Brock says, "Wow, that would be great. Flying would be even better than taking a boat."

The man exclaims, "In that case, follow me!"

* * *

The man leads them to a hanger. He introduces himself, "By the way, the name's Charles, master of the skies."

Ash responds, "I'm Ash Ketchum, this is my partner Pikachu, and this is Brock and Brenda."

Brenda chimes in, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Brock adds, "And thanks so much for offering us a ride."

Charles smiles. "It's no problem at all. Besides, I could use a crew anyways. My baby flies best with a crew of more than one."

Brenda asks, "You call it a baby?"

"Indeed I do. My craft is one of the finest to ever touch the skies. She and I have gone through much together over the course of our lives." He approaches the entrance to the hanger. "And here she is now." He slides a large hanger door open, revealing the inside of the hanger.

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all look in with fascination, trying to catch a glimpse of their ride. What is seen in the hanger is not an airplane, but a large basket and deflated balloon. Perched on the balloon and sleeping is a dove-like bird Pokémon with shimmering white feathers and a shiny gold beak. One of its talons is clenching onto a small branch with leaves. Ash and the others are confused. They strain their eyes, looking for something that's not there. Ash finally speaks up, "I don't get it. Where's your airplane?"

Charles is surprised. "Airplane? What are you talking about? Why would I keep an airplane in the same hanger as my beautiful balloon?"

Brock explains, "It's just that we assumed you were talking about flying an airplane, not a hot air balloon."

Charles begins to laugh heartily. "Me, fly one of those mechanical monstrosities!? Never!" He continues to laugh. Ash, Brock, and Brenda all just look to each other with uncertainty. Charles stops laughing and calls out, "Come on Calumba, we've got passengers to fly!"

The Pokémon wakes up and shakes its head to help it do so. It flies up into the air, still carrying its branch and coos, "Lumba."

Ash pulls out his Pokédex. "Calumba, the Peaceful Pokémon and a Light and Flying Combo-Type. The branch carried by Calumba is said to exude a scent that can soothe even the most savage of beasts. Therefore, wherever Calumba travels, peace and harmony follows it. Evolves into Dovine with use of a Shiny Stone."

Charles beckons everyone forward and says, "Come on now, help me get the balloon out of the hanger."

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all take one last look at each other and then shrug. They walk forward to help out.

* * *

**Who's That Pokémon!?**

**Protected by a hard shell, this Pokémon spins its body like a wheel and crashes furiously into its enemies.**

* * *

A little later, the balloon has been inflated. It is designed to look like a Pokéball. Charles declares, "There we go, all inflated and ready to go. What do you say, Calumba? Ready to take off?"

The dove Pokémon nods and coos, "Caluuum."

"Alright then, everyone into the basket!" Charles holds open the door into the basket and everyone climbs in. Once everyone's in, Charles points to three sandbags tied around the rim of the basket. "Alright, I want you three to untie the ballast all at the same time, got it?"

Ash, Brock, and Brenda all nod and turn to their sandbag. They untie the bags and let them drop to the ground. Ash says, "Alright, that's done."

Charles smiles. "Then off we go." The balloon begins to lift off the ground and into the air.

Brenda excitedly exclaims, "We're in the air! We're flying!"

Calumba circles around the balloon and happily coos, "Luuuumba!"

Charles agrees, "Yes, it has been quite some time since we last flew, hasn't it? Nothing quite beats that feeling of fulfilment when you first take off."

They continue to climb into the air. After just a little while of flying, the cramp conditions of the basket begin to make themselves apparent. A gust of wind causes the balloon to wobble slightly. This causes Ash to lose his balance and bump Brenda with his elbow. With some annoyance, Brenda snaps, "Hey, be more careful."

Ash doesn't appreciate her tone and snaps back, "It wasn't my fault, the basket shook."

"Well, I didn't go bumping into you, so that's no excuse."

Ash begins to retort, but is stopped by Brock saying, "Come on you two. Calm down."

Both Ash and Brenda look to Brock and snap, "Stay out of this!" The three then quickly break down into a shouting match.

Charles looks over to Calumba and nods at it. Calumba nods back. It then flies down in front of the quarreling trio and waves its branch around. The three all suddenly stop mid-shout and take a good sniff of the air. Then they all become completely calm.

Brenda asks with some confusion, "Wait, were we really just fighting about that?"

Ash shrugs. "I guess we were. I'm sorry my elbow hit you, Brenda."

Brenda responds, "And I'm sorry I snapped at you, Ash."

Brock comments, "Wow, that must be the soothing effect of Calumba. It really works wonders, doesn't it?"

Charles chuckles. "Indeed it does. Calumba has been a helpful friend to have, indeed. It is very easy for my passengers and crewmates to get on each other's nerves when trapped in such small confines for such long periods of time. Calumba is a miracle worker when it comes to keeping everyone happy."

Brock asks, "Calumba isn't the easiest Pokémon to come across, how'd you meet this one?"

Charles smiles at the reminiscence. "Ah yes, what a story it is. It was many years ago. Back then, I had a weekly route that I took. On my way back home from a particularly draining trip, I had the misfortune to cross paths with a flock of angry Fearow. To this day, I don't know what got them riled up, but they were upset and willing to take that out on anything they saw move. They immediately flew at me and began to swarm around my balloon. With beaks and a temperament as sharp as they had, it was only a matter of time until they burst a hole in my balloon. I thought that my days as a balloonist were over for good, but then this Calumba just happen to be flying by as I cried out for help. Calumba, being such a peace-loving Pokémon, immediately flew towards my desperate cries. Upon seeing my predicament, it flew in and spread its soothing aroma. The Fearow, just as you did moments ago, breathed in the aroma and were instantly calmed. They left me alone after that, no longer filled with rage. In thanks to the Calumba for saving me, I gave it the sandwich that I was saving for my lunch. It flew with me the rest of the trip and the two us bonded the entire way. We've been the best of friends and partners ever since."

Brenda comments, "Wow, what a story. A Calumba sure must be a great friend to have."

Charles nods. "Indeed it is."

Ash then turns around and looks out towards the sky and then the view below. He and Pikachu marvel at the view. He comments, "You know, at first I was dubious about taking a hot air balloon instead of an airplane, but now that we're here, it's actually pretty awesome."

Brock agrees, "Yeah, this is pretty cool."

Brenda admits, "To tell the truth, whenever I see Team Rocket flying their balloon, I can't help but be envious of them getting to fly that thing."

* * *

**It's Whirlipede!**

* * *

Flying in their balloon, Team Rocket all slouch down, looking incredibly bored and tired. Jessie complains, "There is no one in the world right now that would envy our position. I hate this balloon."

Meowth nods in agreement and says, "Its only redeeming quality is that handsome mug up there."

James disagrees, "Even that's debatable."

Wobbuffet appears to agree in an unenthusiastic, "Wobbuffet…"

Jessie suggests, "Maybe we should just trade it in. I heard that helicopters are quite a nice way to travel."

Meowth questions, "Could we get a Meowth face plastered on the side of it?"

James suggests, "Maybe if we talk with the Boss, he'd give us back those jetpacks we used back in the Unova Region. I liked those things."

Jessie dismisses, "Nah, he'd probably make us wear those icky black uniforms again, and black is not my color."

Meowth adds, "Not to mention you can't make a jetpack look like a Meowth."

While Team Rocket is busy complaining, Wobbuffet gets up and takes a look out the basket. It spots something in the distance and suddenly becomes alert. It declares, "Wobba wobba!" and points outwards.

Jessie asks with annoyance, "What is it, you blue blob?" She gets up with aggravation and looks out to where Wobbuffet is pointing. She spots something floating in the sky off in the distance. She squints for a better look. She demands, "Binoculars, now." Meowth hands her a pair.

James asks with little interest, "What is it, Jess?"

Jessie responds, "One second." She looks through the binoculars at the object. With a sudden burst of vigor and anger, she declares, "Those little copycats!"

This piques James and Meowth's interest. Meowth asks, "What? What is it?"

James asks, "Is it Team Planetary? Have those copycats dared to show their faces again?"

Jessie shakes her head. "No, this is worse. Look."

James and Meowth both pull out binoculars and look out as well. What they see is Ash, Brock, Brenda, and Charles riding in Charles' balloon. As if they have committed the worst offense possible, James shouts, "The twerps are riding in a hot air balloon!"

Meowth demands, "How could they!?"

Wobbuffet agrees angrily, "Wobba!"

Jessie demands, "Who do they think they are!?"

"Wobba!"

Meowth declares, "The hot air balloon is our shtick, and they know it!"

"Wobba!"

James rants, "The art of hot air ballooning is sacred to us, and now these amateurish twerps think they can just hop on some random hot air balloon! I bet they think they're as cool as us now!"

"Wobba!"

Jessie agrees, "This must be the only way twerps can feel cool, by copying Team Rocket, the king of cool!"

"Wobba!"

Meowth decrees, "I say we fly over there and show those twerps who the true masters of the sky are!"

Jessie and James enthusiastically shout, "Agreed!"

* * *

Charles announces, "The wind is on our backs now, that will greatly decrease the time of our voyage."

Brock says, "That's great news!"

Brenda declares excitedly, "I can't wait for space camp!"

Ash points to a nearby cloud. "Hey, look! Something's coming out of that cloud!" Everyone looks over.

Just as Ash said, something can be seen rising out of the cloud. Charles exclaims, "Well I'll be a Mankey's uncle! It's a giant, flying Meowth!"

Ash declares, "That's no Meowth, that's a balloon! Team Rocket's balloon!"

On that cue, the basket of the balloon exits the cloud cover, revealing Team Rocket. Jessie declares, "Prepare for trouble, who else would be up here!?"

James adds, "Make it double, in the air we strike fear!"

"To protect the skies from invading twerps!"

"To fly above where even the bird chirps!"

"To show a display of air superiority!"

"To make clear that we are the true sky authority!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket flies off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or quickly lose your ability of flight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Brenda accuses, "Team Rocket! It's bad enough that we have to deal with you on the ground! Can't you just leave us alone?"

Jessie laughs. "Of course we can't. You chose to fly a hot air balloon, knowing fully well that that's our gimmick. You brought this upon yourselves!"

Meowth adds, "We'll prove to you who the true aeronauts here are!" In an aside, Meowth explains, "That's balloon speak for the pilot of a balloon."

Ash says, "Charles, we have to do something or they'll attack your balloon." Charles doesn't answer. Ash looks back to him to see that he is gazing intently at the Meowth balloon.

Suddenly he exclaims giddily, "That is one of the most amazing specimens of balloon I have ever seen! It's wonderful!"

James smiles, "I see that someone appreciates us." Suddenly growing stern again, he shouts, "But flattery will get you nowhere!"

Ash shouts at Charles, "Those guys are bad guys! Stop complimenting them!"

Charles asks, "But how could the owners of such a beautiful balloon be bad guys?"

Ash isn't sure how to respond to that question. Finally, he asserts, "They just are, alright!? We have to do something to stop them."

Charles reluctantly says, "Alright…fine." He looks to Calumba. "Use your Sweet Scent on them, alright Calumba?"

Calumba nods. "Calum." It then flies up to Team Rocket's balloon.

James shouts angrily, "Get out of the way you stupid bird! We're trying to," Calumba releases the scent of its branch. James sniffs it in and then finishes his sentence happily, "…let you and your friends move right along."

Meowth and Jessie are taken aback. Jessie demands, "What are you talking about, James!? Why would we," she breathes in the scent as well, "…ever think of doing anything but helping out those fellow balloonists?"

Meowth shouts, "Have you both lost your minds!? Remember, we were about to," he also inhales the scent, "…let them go on their merry way, of course!"

Calumba flies back to Charles, who smiles and nods at it. He says, "Alright, they shouldn't be a problem anymore."

Brenda is amazed. She asks, "So we can just go on our way, they'll let us do that without a fight?"

James answers, "Of course we will! Why ever wouldn't we?"

Brenda isn't sure how to respond to that. She decides to says, "Let's just go then," as she shakes her head in disbelief.

As they're flying away, Charles calls out to Team Rocket, "I love your balloon! Making it look like a Meowth was a great idea!"

Team Rocket all call back, "Thanks! We love your balloon too! Goodbye friends!"

Once they're gone, Meowth says with absolute contentedness, "What a nice group of people those twerps are."

Jessie agrees, "They're the best."

James comments, "We're so lucky to know them."

The three of them just stare at each other for a while, wearing goofy grins. Slowly but surely they begin to realize what happened as they snap out of their reverie. Meowth asks with horror, "Guys…?"

Knowing what he's going to ask, Jessie and James both respond with equal horror, "Yes…?"

"What did we just do…?"

They all stare at each other for a few more moments, this time in horror, not contentedness. Suddenly Jessie shouts with rage, "Those twerps did something to us! They tricked us somehow! How dare they!?"

Meowth realizes, "It must have been that Pokémon! What did it do to us!?"

James pulls out his deck of cards and sorts through it until he finds a Calumba card. "According to this, that Pokémon can calm even the most savage beast!" He shouts angrily, "It just turned the badest of bad into polite pushovers!"

Sounding offended, Jessie shouts, "They'll pay for that one!"

Meowth declares, "Let's go get them. Now that we know what to expect, there's absolutely no way they could get us again!"

* * *

Charles' balloon floats by Team Rocket's as Team Rocket happily waves goodbye to them. They all say at once, "Bye-bye! Safe flight! We hope to see you again!"

Brenda giggles and whispers to Ash, "If they acted like this all the time, I wouldn't mind seeing them again."

Ash smiles and nods in agreement. "Maybe I should find a Calumba to catch."

Brock comments, "It sure would come in handy, wouldn't it?"

Once they're gone, Team Rocket goes through a little while more of peace, until the spell breaks once more. They're all instantly outraged. Jessie shouts, "No! Not again! I hate being polite! Politeness doesn't look good on me!"

Meowth complains, "And those words we said! They've put a rottenly sweet taste in my mouth! Yuck!"

James agrees, "If I have to be nice one more time, I'm going to gag!"

Meowth states, "As much as I hate to admit it, even an evil as pure as of Team Rocket isn't immune to the effects of that Calumba, so we need a plan to take it out before we can do anything."

Jessie agrees, "Right."

James declares, "Then let's make a plan!"

* * *

Ash comments, "I never once even dreamed of seeing Team Rocket act so nice. Calumba is an absolute miracle worker."

Pikachu agrees, "Pika."

Brock, sounding philosophical asks, "I don't know…don't you think there might be some sort of moral dilemma at play here? You know, changing the way people act and all?"

Ash and Brenda both look to each other in a split moment of doubt, and then both respond, "Nah, no way."

Charles comments, "Didn't I tell you that Calumba is an excellent partner to have?"

Brenda responds, "You sure did, and boy were you right."

Charles turns away to survey the surrounding sky. He notices something approaching from a distance. He alerts the others, "Balloon ahead!"

Ash's cheerful mood diminishes. "Great, it must be Team Rocket…again."

Brenda complains, "You'd think they'd have learned their lesson by now."

Having approached close enough to hear her, James shouts, "You insolent twerpette! Team Rocket never learns its lesson! I thought you would have learned that lesson by now!"

Meowth declares, "That's right, Team Rocket is back, and the third time's the charm this time around!"

Ash sighs and asks, "Charles, do you mind?"

Charles grins. "Not a bit. Do your thing, Calumba." Calumba nods and flies over to Team Rocket's balloon.

Jessie grins fakely and says through her teeth, "That's right little birdy, fly right on over to us."

As soon as Calumba is close by, Meowth shouts, "Masks on now!" Just as Calumba is releasing its calming scent, Team Rocket pulls out gas masks and dons them. With these masks on, Calumba's scent does absolutely nothing. Team Rocket laughs while Calumba recoils in shock.

Charles demands in shock, "What is this!?"

Meowth explains, "With these here masks on, all the air we breathe in is completely filtered. Your scent has no effect on us now!"

James declares, "Which allows me to do this!" He pulls out a butterfly net and uses it to catch the stunned Calumba. As soon as the Pokémon is in the net, a metal hatch shuts close over the opening, trapping Calumba inside.

Charles exclaims, "Calumba!"

Jessie proclaims, "And now Calumba is ours, and you can't pull that same trick on us again."

Meowth states, "Team Rocket may be a lot of things, but gullible is not one of them. We learn from our mistakes."

Completely seriously, Brock asks, "If that's so, then why haven't you learned that you always fail whenever you try to steal our Pokémon?"

James laughs. "Obviously your assertion is wrong twerp, as we're about succeed in stealing your Pokémon. Now hand over that Pikachu or we'll take it by force." He throws a Pokéball. "Go, Haking!"

Haking appears floating in the air in front of the balloon. "Hak haking hak!"

Jessie also throws a Pokéball. "You too, Buzzsaw!"

Buzzsaw appears flying in the air next to Haking. "Buzzzz zzzz zz zzz zzzz!

Charles pleas, "Please, get back Calumba. She's my best friend."

Ash grins confidently. "Don't worry Charles, your Calumba is as good as rescued." He pulls out a Pokéball and throws it. "Falcoknight, I choose you!"

"Fallllllcoknight!"

Brenda shouts, "We can help too, Glitterfly!"

"Glittererererfly!"

James declares, "We're in the sky now, and the sky is our element! There's no way we can lose in a fair fight! Haking, use Sludge Bomb!"

Jessie proclaims, "But that infers a fight with Team Rocket is fair, which it never is, so we have even more of an advantage than normal! Buzzsaw use Flash Cannon!"

Ash commands, "Blow the Sludge Bomb away with Gust!" Falcoknight creates a burst of wind with its wings which blows away the Sludge Bomb before it can cause any harm.

Brenda declares, "And Glitterfly, you use Solar Beam to counter the Flash Cannon!" The two beams of light collide and cancel each other.

Meowth shouts at Jessie and James, "Don't forget, this here is a balloon battle! We aren't just limited to two dimensions like we are in a ground battle!"

Jessie and James both nod. James orders, "Haking, use Smokescreen! Then drop and use Sludge Bomb!" Haking obscures the field with a haze of smoke.

Once the field is obscured, Jessie orders, "Buzzsaw, attack from above with X-Scissor!" Buzzsaw flies up into the smoke and is lost from sight.

Both Falcoknight and Glitterfly are left confused by the smokescreen. They look in all directions trying to find their opponents. Suddenly a Sludge Bomb hits Falcoknight from below and Buzzsaw flies in at Glitterfly and slashes it with an X-Scissor before retreating back upwards.

Trying to counterattack as fast as possible, Ash shouts, "Wing Attack!"

And Brenda shouts, "Sparkling Flare!" Both attacks are launched, but fail to hit even close to their intended targets.

Brenda asks with sudden panic, "How are we supposed to hit them? They can be in literally any direction!"

Charles snaps, "So what?"

Ash and Brenda turn to Charles. Ash asks, "What do you mean?"

Charles responds with fervor, "This is a balloon battle! A Pokémon battle between two teams of balloonists! Back in the day Calumba and I were masters of this art! Follow my coaching and we'll win this for sure!"

Brenda and Ash grin with excitement. Ash declares, "Yeah!"

Brenda shouts, "Alright!"

Charles asserts, "The most important thing to remember in a battle such as this is you are not limited to a two-dimensional plain. Have your Pokémon climb up and out of the smoke now!"

Ash and Brenda both shout to their Pokémon, "Do it!" The Pokémon begin to climb up.

Charles turns to Brock and states, "In a balloon battle, more than just the Pokémon must be mobile. In order to help Ash and Brenda work with their Pokémon, we must follow them."

Brock nods in understanding. "What do I need to do?"

"Pull that lever on the burner! It will increase the heat and lift us higher!"

Brock does as he is told. "Right!" He pulls the lever and fire flares up from the burner. The balloon begins to rise.

Meowth points, "Look, the twerps are starting to figure out how this balloon battle thing goes."

Jessie scoffs, "We're the champions of balloon battling. Remember the contest we won in Atmos City? We're not losing to a bunch of twerps."

James agrees, "You've got that right, Jess! Meowth, raise the balloon!"

"Aye aye!" Meowth leaps at the lever and tugs it down. Team Rocket's balloon follows Charles'.

Now all Pokémon and balloons have risen above the smoke. James quickly orders, "Use Tackle, Haking!"

Jessie adds, "And you use Night Slash, Buzzsaw!"

Ash and Brenda ready themselves to counter. Charles prompts, "Remember, you can attack from any angle."

Ash observes the sky in front of him and gets an idea. "Falcoknight! Dive back down into the smoke!"

Brenda quickly figures out Ash's strategy and follows suit. "You too, Glitterfly!" Both Pokémon hide themselves in the smoke while also dodging Team Rocket's attacks.

James shouts angrily, "They're using our strategy against us! No fair!"

Jessie protests, "This was supposed to be a fair fight!"

Ash takes advantage of their state of mind and orders, "Falcoknight, Sky Uppercut, let's do it!"

Brenda commands, "Solar Beam, go!"

Without warning, Falcoknight flies straight up and out of the smoke, directly below Haking, delivering a powerful uppercut with its wing tip. Also at the same time, a massive beam of light comes up from beneath Buzzsaw and engulfs the beetle Pokémon. Both of Team Rocket's Pokémon are knocked out by these attacks.

Jessie and James, in shock that they lost, quickly recall their Pokémon before they fall.

Ash looks to Pikachu and says, "Alright, let's get Calumba back."

Pikachu nods in agreement. "Pik!"

"Let's do this!" Pikachu leaps off of Ash's arm and into the sky in front of the balloon. Falcoknight flies up from beneath it and catches Pikachu on its back. The two then fly to Team Rocket's balloon.

Jessie questions, "What's this, is the Pikachu surrendering to our superior balloonsmanship?"

Pikachu leaps off of Falcoknight's back, onto Jessie's face, and then uses it as a springboard to propel itself towards the net holding Calumba hostage. With a quick Iron Tail, Pikachu breaks through the net, freeing Calumba. Calumba flies off. All three of Team Rocket leap at Pikachu at once in an attempt to catch it, but Pikachu jumps into the air, causing them to collide with each other. It lands on top of their heads, and then jumps off the balloon, landing once more on Falcoknight's back.

Ash shouts, "Alright Pikachu, let's get rid of them the old fashioned way! Use Thunderbolt!"

"Pikaaaaa chuuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu unleashes its electrical attack and causes Team Rocket's balloon to explode, sending them flying away at a high speed.

As they're flying away, Jessie moans and complains, "This is why I hate that no-good balloon! Good riddance I say!"

James shouts, "I never want to see that hideous thing again!"

Meowth teases, "You know it will be back by the next episode, no doubt about it."

Jessie and James groan. Then they all shout, "We're blasting off again!"

Back at Charles' balloon, Calumba flies up to Charles and happily coos, "Caaalum!"

Charles smiles, "I'm so happy that you're safe Calumba. Hopefully those wretched Team Rocket won't bother us again."

Pikachu leaps off of Falcoknight's back and back onto Ash's shoulder. Ash reassures, "Don't worry, now that we've sent them blasting off, they won't bother us again for a while."

Brock points towards the ground and shouts, "Hey look, I can see Horizoport City from here!"

Ash and Brenda run over to take a look. The port city can be seen. From this high up, hoverboats can be seen sailing into the port. Brenda says with wonder, "Wow, we're back to Tenno Minor!"

Charles nods. "Indeed we are. It won't be long now until we touch down in Horizoport. I'm a man of my word, and I told you we'd get there."

Ash nods. "You sure did." Ash, Brock, and Brenda continue to stare off at the view ahead of them.

_Our heroes may not have gotten the airplane ride they were expecting, but they did get a truly unique opportunity to experience the wonders of balloon flight, no matter how much Team Rocket may love – or hate – it. And now, even though they're returning to old territory, new adventures certainly lay before them, as the journey continues!_

**To Be Continued…**


	66. Episode 66: Back to the New Grind

Episode 66: Back to the New Grind

Ash, Brock, and Brenda are walking down a familiar street. _Having just made it back to Horizoport City thanks to the balloonist Charles, our heroes are just about ready to hit the road and head on back to Launch Town, Brenda's home town. But that's assuming that something else doesn't pop up first._

Just on cue, Brock stops and points. "Hey, look at that poster, Brenda."

Brenda looks over in the indicated direction. Hanging on a wall across the street is a poster advertising a Pokémon Contest. Brenda exclaims, "Wow! They're holding a Pokémon Contest here in Horizoport, and it takes place tomorrow!"

Brock chuckles. "I guess it's lucky that we got here when we did."

Brenda agrees, "You bet!"

Ash asks, "Are you going to enter, Brenda?"

"What kind of question is that!? Of course I'm going to enter, silly! Come on, let's go register!" She runs off, forcing Ash and Brock to chase after her.

* * *

Brenda only stops running when she makes it the front of the contest hall. Before going in, she gives Ash and Brock a chance to catch up. While waiting for them, she tosses a Pokéball into air, and out comes Kappaqueous.

"Kappapapaqueous!"

"Look Kappaqueous, it's time for us to enter our next contest. We've going to work just as hard as we did last time to win this one, all right?"

Kappaqueous happily nods in agreement. "Aqueous!"

Brenda is grinning, until she notices someone standing near the entrance to the contest hall. It's Will. Brenda's smile suddenly turns into a frown. She has a flashback to end of the Starside Contest after she lost. In the flashback, Will shouts angrily at her, "It was an insult to us other Coordinators who spent countless hours training! You took the spot of someone else who deserved to make it to the Battle Rounds much more than you did!" He turns around and begins to leave the room. He stops at the door. Without turning to face Brenda, he adds, "You have lost any respect I had for you, natural talent or not."

Back in the present, Brenda is left fighting back emotions of sadness and shame. She looks to the ground and clenches her fists as she tries to get a hold of herself.

Looking worried, Kappaqueous tugs at Brenda's shirt and asks, "Kappa?"

Brenda doesn't answer it.

Just catching up, Ash calls to Brenda, "Hey, is something up!?"

Brenda puts on a fake smile and looks up. She responds, "No, I...um…I just figured that registration is still open for a few hours more, so I think I should use that time to go and do some training first."

Sounding confused, Brock points out, "You could just train after you register. It's not like you're going to have any less time to train if you do it that way."

Ash adds, "Yeah, we're already here, so you might as well register now."

Brenda takes a quick glance towards Will, and looks away just as quickly. "No, I think I want to train first. I'm not ready to go over there yet."

Ash and Brock both look at each other and shrug. Ash says, "Alright then. We can go to the place I battled Ryu, that should make for a good training ground."

Brenda nods. "Right. Let's go." She rushes off.

* * *

Ash, Brock, and Brenda make it to a wide open courtyard with plenty of room. The three of them stand around for a moment in an awkward silence. Ash breaks the silence by asking, "Well Brenda? Aren't you going to do something?"

She looks to him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Then she realizes the answer to her own question. "Oh, training…right…um…so…what should I do?"

Ash is taken aback, "What do you mean 'what should I do!?' You should train!"

"Yeah…well…about that…the only time I've ever trained I had May and Dawn helping me out." She admits with some embarrassment, "I don't really know what to do…"

Brock suggests, "How about you try coming up with a combination that you think will work, and get your Pokémon to try it out?"

Brenda questions, "Isn't that what I do already during the contest? It seems like it's kind of unnecessary work to do that now."

Ash sighs. "Wow Brenda…you really are hopeless." He then says, "Look, just do it, alright. That's what training is. If it works, then you know you can use it in the contest. If it doesn't work, which very well could happen, then you either don't use the combination in the contest, or you keep on trying it again and refining it until it does work. That's what training is."

Brenda shrugs. "Alright…if you say so." She thinks to herself, _I'll prove it to Will that I am not an insult to coordinators anymore. I've grown past that phase…or at least I'm trying to. If this is what it takes, then I'm going to do it. _She pulls out a Pokéball and throws into the air. "Alright Rabbolt, let's do this!"

Rabbolt appears. "Rabbolt rab!"

Brenda declares, "Alright Rabbolt, we're going to do some training!"

Rabbolt raises an arm with enthusiasm and cheers, "Rabbolt!"

"Alright, I want you to use Bounce to leap as high into the air as you possibly can, then once you're up in the air, you need to land back on the ground with all the force you can. Hopefully this will send some chunks of the dirt beneath flying into the air. Add your Shockwave to the mix as you land and I think we'll have something!"

Rabbolt nods in understanding. It readies itself and then makes the leap. "Rabbbbbbolt!" As it begins to fall it prepares to stomp the ground with all of its might. It looks like everything's going to go off perfectly, but as soon as Rabbolt begins to use its Shockwave attack right before it hits the floor, the balance of its fall is ruined, and it trips as it lands on the ground. This results in its already started Shockwave losing control, electrocuting Brenda, Ash, and Brock.

A stunned and singed Ash exhales a puff of smoke and then says, "This is why you practice."

Brenda runs over to Ash and Brock and frantically bows in apology, saying, "Sorry, I'm so sorry. I messed up badly. I'm so sorry." She turns around and brushes herself off. Suddenly she has her flashback again.

Will shouts, "It was an insult to us other Coordinators who spent countless hours training! You took the spot of someone else who deserved to make it to the Battle Rounds much more than you did!"

Brenda says quietly to herself, "Maybe I can't change…I'll always just screw things up…I'll always be nothing but an insult other coordinators…"

Having brushed himself off, Brock asks, "What was that, Brenda?"

Brenda, working hard to fight back tears, turns around and answers, "It's…nothing…"

Ash asserts, "Come on Brenda, obviously it's not nothing. What's going on with you?"

Brenda attempts to regain control of her emotions with a deep breath. "It's just that…it's just that…" after a moment's struggle, she finally shouts, "I'm a complete failure! I couldn't even get that simple move right!" She begins to sob. "I should have known that Rabbolt would have too many things to do at once and wouldn't be able to make the landing! I should have known that it was going to end up zapping us! I should have known! I should have done something that worked instead! Just imagine if I did that in the contest! I'd have lost for sure! Will told me that I was an insult to other coordinators, and if I'm going to keep on making mistakes like this, then he's right!"

Ash tries to calm her, "Don't say that, Brenda."

"Why not!? It's true, isn't it!?"

Ash shakes his head. "No, not in the slightest."

Brenda looks to Ash with surprise. "What do you mean?"

"You're being way too hard on yourself Brenda. No body's perfect, you shouldn't expect perfection out of yourself. Everyone's bound to make mistakes. Look, the entire purpose of training is so that you can make mistakes like that here, before the contest, when it doesn't matter. Yes, it would have been bad if you had done that in the contest, but now you're not going to, because you're going to train until you get it right. Now stop your crying and keep your head up! You are not an insult to coordinators, and don't let anyone tell you differently!"

Brenda sniffles and then slowly nods her head as she struggles to stop crying. "You're…you're right. I'm sorry you had to see me break down like that." She sniffles again. "I'm going through a lot emotionally right now."

Brock soothes, "And nobody blames you for that, Brenda. You've been through some ups and downs lately. You had your entire base of confidence shaken up irreparably. Now come on, why don't you and Rabbolt try that move out again. Let's try to figure out what went wrong and why."

Almost fully calmed, Brenda nods. "Alright."

* * *

**Who's that Pokémon!?**

**This Pokémon migrates according to seasons, so some people call it the harbinger of spring.**

* * *

Brenda shouts with frustration, "Why won't this work!?" She pulls at her hair with aggravation.

Ash suggests, "Maybe it's time to admit that this won't work. How about you try out a different one?"

Brenda turns to him and firmly says, "No, I will not stop until I get this move to work. I am going to show once and for all that can train!" She adds mentally, _And hopefully once he sees how much work I've put into this move, Will will forgive me…_

Brock advises, "If a move's not going to work, it's not going to work. You can't force it."

Brenda retorts, "Didn't you guys just tell me before that point of training was to make sure I can get something right? If I can't do this, then the entire training session has been wasted. There's no way I'm stopping."

Brock shrugs. "Suit yourself." After a moment's pause he says, "Anyways, I need to stock up on supplies at some point before we leave the city. If you're planning on being here for a while, I think I'll go do that now."

Still sounding angered from her failed training, Brenda says somewhat passive-aggressively, "That's fine with me."

Sensing she's not in a friendly mood, Ash says, "You know, I think I'll go with you Brock. I could…" he tries to come up with an excuse, "I could use some stuff to."

Brenda says, "Great, I could use the time alone."

Ash and Brock slowly turn around. Before they leave, Ash asks, "Are you sure there's nothing you want, Brenda?"

"I'm fine. Just go." So they do.

Brenda returns her focus to Rabbolt. "Alright Rabbolt, are you ready to try this again?"

Rabbolt, looking a little beat up from the training, but full of determination nonetheless, nods. "Rab."

"Great! Then let's do it again!"

Rabbolt leaps up into the air like it did before, making it even higher this time. It then thrusts itself downwards and readies its electrical attack. Unfortunately, just as it did before, it loses control over its fall right as its about to hit the ground and the entire combination fails.

Brenda moans. She spots a rock at her feet and kicks it with anger. She shouts, "Why can't I do anything right!? I don't get it. When I don't train normally, I do perfectly, but when I do train I fail miserably! Why is this so hard!? This is supposed to make things easy!" Turning from anger to shame, she says more quietly, "I'll never be anything but a disgrace…what was I thinking?"

Suddenly a voice asks, "What's this I hear? You're having training issues?" Brenda looks towards the voice to see a group of three approaching her. The one who spoke is a girl with long red hair. She's wearing a dazzling glittery dress. On her right is a man with blue hair wearing a white tuxedo and on her right is a short man wearing an identical white tuxedo.

Instantly covering up her emotions, Brenda asks, "Who are you?"

The woman smiles. "Why we're the solution to all your problems, my dear."

Skeptical, Brenda asks, "What do you mean?"

"I am the great and famous coordinator extraordinaire, Jessidy, and it is my mission to teach other, less talented, coordinators my secrets to success. I couldn't help but overhear that you were having problems training. I know exactly how to solve these problems."

Brenda tilts her head. "How's that?"

The woman smiles. "You see, I have discovered from my many years of experience that when a coordinator has training problems, more often than not it isn't the coordinators fault."

"It's not?"

"No, it's the Pokémon's fault."

Rabbolt questions, "Rab?"

Jessidy ignores the Pokémon and continues, "But fear not, for I, Jessidy, coordinator extraordinaire, know the secret towards getting your Pokémon to be able to master any technique you train it to use."

Brenda is enthralled by the idea. "Not only is this not my fault, but you can help me?"

Jessidy nods. "Of course I can. They don't call me a coordinator extraordinaire for nothing after all."

Brenda smiles. "That's great! What do we need to do?"

"You need not do anything. Just leave your Pokémon with me, and I will work my magic on it. Meet me at the contest hall later today after registration closes, and I'll have your Pokémon ready. For that contest."

"Wow, thanks Jessidy! You're amazing." Brenda looks down to Rabbolt and tells it, "Don't worry Rabbolt, after this we'll be able to master that move for sure."

Rabbolt senses something is amiss, but agrees skeptically, "Rabbolt…"

Brenda pulls out its Pokéball and recalls it. She then hands the Pokéball over to the blue-haired man. "Take good care of it."

The man chuckles, "Don't worry, your Rabbolt is in the best of hands."

Jessidy reminds, "Now don't forget, sign up for that contest, and then we'll meet you after registration closes."

Brenda nods. "Right."

The group of three then runs off, leaving Brenda behind. Once Brenda is out of sight, the short one says, "Wow, Jessie, this plan was great!"

The one with blue hair adds, "Not only do we have the twerpette's Rabbolt, but now she's going to register that Rabbolt for the contest without knowing she won't have access to it. She'll be kicked out of the contest for not having the Pokémon she entered in it, meaning one less opponent for you."

Jessidy, or rather Jessie of Team Rocket, laughs. "Yes, this plan was a stroke of genius for sure. Let's see what other chumps we can trick out of their Pokémon and their chances at winning."

Wobbuffet appears in order to cheer, "Wobbuffet!"

* * *

**It's Sawsbuck!**

* * *

Brenda now stands across the street from the contest hall once more. She takes a look around and breathes a sigh of relief. "No Will in sight…" She takes a deep breath and mentally prepares herself. Then she crosses the street and enters the building. Once at the front desks she says to the person there, "Hello, my name is Brenda, and I'd like to sign up for the contest."

The woman behind the desk nods. "Alright, who will your partner be?"

Brenda is baffled by the question. "Partner?"

The woman realizes her mistake. "Oh, you must not know. Don't worry, you're hardly the first person to come in today not knowing about the Horizoport Contest's special rules. You see, contests hosted in Horizoport are of a very unique type. They're called tag contests. It's similar to a double performance contest, but instead of one coordinator with two Pokémon, it's two coordinators each with their own Pokémon working together as a team."

Brenda is very surprised by this news, but also disappointed. "Oh…I see. So I need to find a partner to enter with then?"

The woman nods. "Indeed you do. Sorry. If it's any consolation, you still have plenty of time to register. Maybe you can go find someone before then."

Brenda nods. "Yeah…sure." She turns around and begins to walk away, deep in contemplation. She thinks, _Ash entered the Wallace Cup, maybe he'll be up for being my partner. Hmm…I could ask another coordinator I know. There's always… _An image of Will shouting at her flashes through her mind. She shakes her head. _No, Will would never want me as a partner after that fiasco. What am I thinking?_

This train of thought brings her into another flashback. Will shouts, "It was an insult to us other Coordinators who spent countless hours training!"

Brenda's eyes suddenly go wide as panic strikes her. "What was I thinking!? I just handed Rabbolt over to someone else to do the training for me! This is exactly what Will meant when he called me an insult to coordinators who trained! Oh no, oh no, oh no! I have to go find Jessidy and get Rabbolt back!"

She bursts out of the contest hall and frantically looks around. Her attention turns to a nearby grass promenade where several coordinators are training. One is talking with Jessie in her Jessidy disguise. Brenda breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, good, I found her."

She walks over towards them. Jessie is saying to the coordinator, "Your Squirrelutton may be good, but once I, Jessidy, coordinator extraordinaire, get done with it, it will be great!"

The coordinator responds excitedly, "Wow, that sounds wonderful!"

Brenda comes and says, "Excuse me, Miss Jessidy, not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but I've decided that I want my Rabbolt back."

Team Rocket instantly freezes up. Jessie quickly recovers and tries to work her way out of the situation by saying, "But my dear, young, naïve coordinator, I can help you. My experience gives me so much more to offer your Pokémon than you can."

Brenda nods. "I'm sure that's true, but it's also the problem. It's you offering it to my Pokémon instead of me. If I want to prove myself to be a true coordinator, then I've got to be the one to train my Pokémon. There are no shortcuts. I really am sorry, but I need to be the one to train my own Pokémon, I realize that now."

The other coordinator comments, "You know what? She's right. I'm sorry, but I'm going to stick to training my own Pokémon as well." He turns around and runs off.

Jessie is fuming with anger over the lost "client." She stomps her feet and does her best to control herself.

Brenda asks, "Are you okay, Jessidy?"

Struggling to stay in character with all the anger she's feeling, Jessie says through clenched teeth, "Why..I'm…perfectly…fine…"

James whispers to Meowth, uh-oh, she's going to blow."

Meowth adds, "This isn't going to be pretty."

Brenda asks, "So may I have my Pokémon back please?"

"No you may not."

Brenda is taken aback. "What!? What do you mean?"

Casting aside her anger, Jessie laughs. "Because you ruined my plan, and now I'll be keeping your Pokémon as compensation. So you'd better prepare for trouble."

This statement confuses Brenda. "What?"

Taking Jessie's lead, James declares, "You can make that double!"

Jessie continues, "To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all people within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

Jessie casts aside her costume. "Jessie!"

So does James. "James!"

"Team Rocket trains its Pokémon at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, we've prepared for this fight!"

Meowth pops in without his costume. "Meowth, that's right!"

"Wobbuffet!"

"Mime mime!"

Brenda accuses, "Team Rocket, you no good thieves! I should have known it was you all along!"

Jessie teases, "Well you didn't, so it doesn't matter."

James asserts, "We are masters of disguise! You'll never know it's us until it's too late!"

Meowth pulls out a Pokéball and begins to toss it up and down. "And thanks to our skill, we are now the proud owners of this here Rabbolt."

Brenda shouts, "Give me back Rabbolt!"

Jessie cackles, "Ha ha ha! What's the word I'm looking for? Oh yeah! It's no!" She throws a Pokéball. "Go, Repiv!"

James also throws a Pokéball, "Help us mug her, Ivine!" Ivine appears, but instantly turns and leaps to latch on to James' face. James rips the Pokémon off, tosses it forward again and shouts, "I said _mug_ her, not _hug_ me!" He furiously begins to scratch at his face.

Brenda pulls out a Pokéball of her own and throws it. "Help me out, Kappaqueous!" Kappaqueous appears and readies itself for battle as soon as it sees their opponents.

Jessie starts things off by ordering, "Repiv, strike with Poison Sting!"

James adds, "Add some covering fire with Mega Drain!"

Brenda quickly shouts, "Dodge the attacks, Kappaqueous!" Kappaqueous jumps into the air to dodge and successfully dodges the stingers of the Poison Sting, only to be hit by tendrils of the Mega Drain.

Jessie snickers and then orders, "While it's caught in the Mega Drain, get in close and use Wrap to immobilize it!"

"Repivvvvvv!" Repiv slithers in and catches Kappaqueous as it falls, then it wraps tightly around the Pokémon.

Kappaqueous struggles to free itself, but to no avail. "Kappa!"

Brenda encourages, "Come on Kappaqueous, you can use Confusion to free yourself!"

James declares, "Not if we can help it! Use Ivy Whip, Ivine!" Ivine whips at Kappaqueous. The moment the vines of ivy touch Kappaqueous, it is forced to furiously scratch itself where the vines made contact, forcing it to lose all the concentration required to use Confusion.

Brenda begins to panic. "Oh no, not good! I can't take both of them by myself." She then sighs in an admittance of defeat. _This is what I get for not training properly. I'm sorry Will, I'm so sorry…_

Suddenly a voice declares, "Don't give up, Brenda! You're not alone in this! Ravenoir, use Wing Attack!"

Suddenly a Ravenoir flies in and attacks Repiv with its glowing wings, causing it to release Kappaqueous.

Brenda looks up to see this and exclaims, "Hey, I know that Ravenoir!" Suddenly she realizes what this means. With a mixture of dread and hesitation, she turns her head to see the Will is standing behind her. She chuckles slowly and awkwardly and waves slowly. "Hi Will…I was just-"

Will cuts her off, "No time for that now. Let's take care of these goons, and then we'll talk."

Brenda nods. "Right." She thinks, _He's acting as if what happened last time never happened at all. What's going on? Is it possible that he…has forgiven me…?_

Jessie says angrily, "Well if it isn't the pretty-boy twerp. Your appearance here makes no difference, we'll beat you _and_ the twerpette if we have to."

Will states, "We'll see about that." He turns his head to Brenda and tells her, "Brenda, I want you to have Kappaqueous use Aqua Bomb, okay?"

Brenda nods. "Right. You heard him Kappaqueous, do it!" Kappaqueous attacks by flinging an orb of water towards Ivine and Repiv.

Will commands, "Ravenoir, combine your Shadow Ball with the Aqua Bomb!" Ravenoir launches an orb of shadowy energy. The two orbs meet midway through their trajectory and merge together. The combined water/shadow orb suddenly explodes right in the middle of the two Team Rocket Pokémon, knocking both of them away. Will then shouts, "Alright Ravenoir, now get that Pokéball back to Brenda!"

"Raveeeeenoir!" Ravenoir dives down towards Meowth, who's still holding Rabbolt's Pokéball.

Meowth begins to panic and frantically runs back and forth. He shouts, "Come on guys, help me out here! Protect me!" But Repiv and Ivine are too badly damaged to help. Ravenoir swoops in and grabs the Pokéball right out of Meowth's hand. It flies it back and drops it right into Brenda's hands.

Upon seeing the Pokéball, Brenda grins as inspiration strikes her. She tosses the Pokéball and shouts, "Alright Rabbolt, let's try this one more time, just like we practiced!" Rabbolt comes out of the Pokéball, lands right in front of Team Rocket and leaps up into the air. As it begins to fall it readies itself to both slam onto the ground with all its power while also using its Shockwave attack. Mere moments before its feet touch the ground, its begins the electrical discharge. Brenda watches with anticipation as the moment of truth comes and Rabbolt slams into the ground. It all works perfectly. Rabbolt keeps its balance, and the force of it hitting the ground right in the middle of Team Rocket causes several chunks of dirt to fly up into the air around it. The electricity from its Shockwave then instantly arcs from chunk to chunk until all of Team Rocket is electrocuted. An explosion occurs and they are sent flying into the air.

As they're flying, James sighs. "Well, so much for that ruse."

Meowth grumbles, "That's what we get for letting Jessie make the plan."

Jessie asserts, "I may not be Jessidy, coordinator extraordinaire, but doesn't mean I'm any less of a coordinator extraordinaire myself!"

James and Meowth both remark, "Keep telling yourself that."

Then they all shout, "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"

Back on the ground, Brenda runs over to Rabbolt and hugs it. "That was great, Rabbolt! You pulled it off! Our training actually worked!"

From behind her, Will comments, "So you really are training now."

Brenda freezes up, realizing that now she has no choice but to face Will. She slowly turns towards him and says, "Will…there's something I really need to tell you…"

Will puts up his hand to stop her. "No, there's something I need to tell you. I've been keeping an eye out all day in the hope that you would be here so I could tell you this. I'm sorry."

Brenda is taken aback. "Sorry? About what? I'm the one who should be sorry."

Will shakes his head. "No, no you're not. The things I said to you back at the Starside Contest, I should have never said them. That was only your third contest, I shouldn't have expected you to know how much work it takes to become a top coordinator. It wasn't your fault. You see, the thing is, you just have so much skill, and I had so much respect for you, that I expected more out of you than I would any other coordinator."

Brenda is speechless. After a moment she says, "But at the Wallace Cup, you seemed so mad at me still."

Will nods. "Yes, and I was. I assumed that you would never change, and that you were just entering yet another contest, and a major one at that, without learning your lesson. That, too, was unfair of me. But then your friend May made me realize otherwise. After she beat me I was ready to leave then and there, but she convinced me to stick around and watch your battle in the final round, and she was right, you had been training hard. You may be good without training, but I could tell from that battle that you had risen to new heights, and training was the only way that could happen. And I cannot begin to tell you how pleased I am to see that proven true. You really have turned over a new leaf. I am so sorry that I ever doubted you could."

Brenda, still mostly speechless, manages to say, "Wow…I don't even know what to say."

"How about this? You say that you'll be my partner in the Horizoport Contest."

"Your partner?"

Will nods. "Surely you must know the special rules for this contest. I would be honored to have you at my side as my partner." After a moment of thought he adds, "Of course, I'll expect some intense training so we can hone our teamwork, but something tells me that won't be an issue."

Brenda looks him in the eyes and smiles broadly. "And I would be honored to be your partner. Let's do it."

_It looks like Brenda's finally going to be able to put the nightmares of the Starcore Contest behind her once and for all. Of course, that doesn't mean she hasn't been changed by the experience, because she is all the better because of it. How will her first ever tag contest go? You'll just have to stay tuned and find out._

* * *

Ash and Brock are sitting on a bench outside a store. Brock is holding some grocery bags. Ash asks, "So you think it's safe to go back to Brenda now?"

Brock shakes his head. "We'd better play it safe and give her some more time."

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
